


The Prince of Aincrad - Beginnings

by CloudyLightning



Series: Prince of Aincrad [2]
Category: Sword Art Online
Genre: Aincrad, Faeries - Freeform, Gun Gale, Princes & Princesses, Swords, Álfheimr | Alfheim
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-18 15:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 68,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4710368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudyLightning/pseuds/CloudyLightning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU of Sword Art Online! Ever since the announcement of the first born son of the King of Aincrad, no one has ever seen him. Fourteen years later, a mysterious boy appeared with extraordinary skills with two blades. But as two years passed, a danger approaches. The mystery boy disappears and the prince finally reveals himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home

Chapter 1: "Home"

"Gaaaaaaah... I don't wanna do this anymore." complained a black haired teen as he buried his head into his arms before him. Sounds of people and laughing could be heard in the floor below him. The teen was sitting at an old desk. It was beaten and chipped in many places, but it was still in good shape. A feather pen was held loosely in his grip with black ink at its tip. A long brown parchment covered the desk and hung off the edge.

A knock echoed through the slightly empty room. The teen groaned and sat up with a look of annoyance.

"Whoever you are, you better have a good reason for being up here! This place is off limits, you know!" he called out as he leaned against his wooden chair.

The door opened to reveal a tall, dark skinned man carrying a cup of steaming tea. He smiled at the teen. "Well, I think bringing up a cup of tea for a friend is a good reason for being here. And, I own this place."

The teen half smiled. "Well, nice to know you remembered about me. Let me guess, chamomile tea, Agil?"

The man, Agil, smiled. "It is one in the morning, Kirito. I did add a little something in there, but it isn't alcohol. By the time you get home, it's effects will kick in and you'll be out like a light." he said as he placed the tea on the desk. He noticed the parchment. "What are you up to?"

Kirito, the teen, sighed and tired rubbed his eyes. "Father wanted me to map out the castle. He said that I should know it like the back of my hand."

"Sounds like a lot of work." Agil said as he looked over the parchment. Black lines and circles littered the page and he could see the outline of one of Aincrad's capital castles. Agil was impressed with each precision of every measurement and angle of practically every knook and cranny of the castle. "You know all this?"

Kirito shrugged. "Kind of. I saw the real blueprint that is...about 250-years-old and I memorized half of it. The rest, I actually measured it one day because I was that bored. All this is pretty simple, really."

Agil's eyes widened in shock. "Simple? Knowing every single measurement of every knook and cranny of the Royal Castle is not simple, Kirito."

"What kind of son would I be if I couldn't do something like this?" Kirito asked rhetorically as he reached for the cup of tea. He took a sip and savored the sweet, flowery taste. Placing the cup down, he set out to clean up. He haphazardly tossed his feather pen in his open side bag on the floor and rolled up the parchment. He stood up and stuffed it into his bag with a small jar of ink. Kirito looked up to Agil, who was looking out the window. "Agil, thanks for the tea...and everything else."

The tall man looked away from the window and gave a small frown. "Don't worry about it. Just go."

Kirito shook his head and downed the rest of the tea. He set the empty cup down and was stopped by Agil's voice.

"Be careful on your way back home! I heard that there's a murderer on the loose." he warned. Kirito nodded.

"I'll be fine." he replied as he slipped his bag on. He quickly walked out of his temporary home, and headed down the steps. The lanterns were unlit, but the hallway glowed with the lights downstairs.

The drunken laughs and happy music became clear when Kirito reached the first floor of the bar. He paused. The door to the up was slightly ajar, and he could see his people smiling and dancing happily.

Kirito smiled to himself as he watched his people enjoy themselves. He blinked out of his daze and heads out the back door to make sure no one saw him. Next to the door was a loose plank. Kirito knelt to one knee and removed the price of wood. He set it the side and reached inside. He pulled out two simply made steel swords and quickly strapped them on his back. Readjusting his bag, he hurried off in the direction of the Royal Castle of Aincrad.

The streets were bare and the night was cold. He pulled his black coat closer to himself as he hurried through the silent town. Quiet as a mouse, he snuck past the guards as he arrived at the castle gates. Kirito stopped in front of a random bush. He reached in and grabbed the thickest branch, moving it aside. The bush revealed a hole small enough for Kirito.

Inside was a brown bundle that was placed there previously. Kirito quickly removed his swords and bag, and unwrapped the bundle. He changed his black attire into an expensive long sleeved, silk, white sand blue night shirt with matching pants.

Kirito slung his bag over his shoulder and warped his other attire in the brown cloth with his swords sticking out. Without a word, he crawled into the hole with care. After all, he can't soil the cloths he wore.

Once inside, he moved the bush the cover the entrance. He turned around and crawled out the other side. He left the brown bundle in the small tunnel as he emerged at the other side.

With a quick look around, Kirito made his way through the open courtyard and didn't stop until he reached the tallest tower in the area. He carefully dragged his hands across the white brick walls and pushed one back. A soft click sounded behind the wall and a small portion of the wall slid back and moved to the side. He smiled when the sliding door made no sound.

With one last longing look around, Kirito went inside and manually closed the door. Next to the entrance was a ladder leading to the top floor. He reached the top and pushed a small door outward to reveal a room. He crawled out of the secret passageway onto the floor of his bedroom. Closing the door, he stood up and took a quick look around.

The room was dark and was barely visible in the weak light of the moon. Kirito quietly made his way to his bed at the corner. He felt his body tire as he unceremoniously plopped himself on it.

Kirito laid there for a minute before forcing himself to get up with a tired sigh. He sat up, kicked off his boots, and shoved them behind the bed skirt. He finally crawled underneath the royal blue blankets and curled up into a ball. Whatever Agil added into his tea began to kick in. The moment he closed his eyes, he fell asleep.


	2. Attempter Murder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The months on this story is not January and such. So Anemone is actually September.

Chapter 2: Attempted Murder

He didn't want to get up. He stayed up late and was dead tired. He knew that he was partially awake, but he refused to open his eyes in attempt to drift back to sleep.

Unfortunately, fate never liked him. A loud sound of flapping wings echoed through his room. He cringed and rolled over. He felt something small and light land on his pillow near him. Whatever it was, it took a deep breath and-

"Tweeeet!"

He groaned and waved his hand around in attempt to shoo the pesky noise maker. He buried his face into his soft, fluffy pillow and rested his hands above his head.

*Prick!*

"Ow!"

The black-haired prince shot up from his pillow and glared at the source of his irritation. A small, innocent blue jay bird stared up at him with its pearly black eyes. The Prince sighed after staring at the bird, blankly.

"Alright, alright, you win." he said as he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm up."

The bird chirped happily and flapped its wings, taking flight as the Prince finally slid out of bed. He stretched to get all the stiffness out of his body. The bird flew over to his large closet and tweeted encouragingly.

"Okay, seriously, I need to give you a name." the Prince mumbled as he crossed his large room, heading over to his closet. He quickly changed his pants for a pair of hazelnut slack-like pants and a brown leather belt. He removed his shirt and paused to look at his mirror behind him. In between his shoulder blades was a multicolored marking. Three blue, tear shapes were clustered together like a flower. A pair of golden like feathers nearly touched the tear drops, one on each side. At the bottom was another blue tear drop. In the center, was a red-orange flame that seemed to flicker with life. Just like the golden like feathers, two pale green leaves lined the sides. In between the feather and leaf of each side, were shimmering black triangular marks. At the very bottom, were three tiny black marks.

The Prince couldn't help but wonder why he had such a marking as he tore his gaze away from the mirror and continued dressing. Ever since he was born, the mark was there. It never shifted or anything, but it grew as he grew. His father, The King of Aincrad, had reassured him many times that the mark is harmless and just a birthmark.

But as he slipped on his short-sleeved white tunic with majestic blue outlining it, he began to seriously doubt his father's words. What if his father was lying to him about it being a birthmark? What if it was a curse?

He shook his head.

"What am I thinking? Father never lies to me unless…" he trailed off as he stuck his feet into his brown leather boots with silver buckles. "-unless he has a very good reason to do so."

Grabbing his dark blue cloak, he inspected the golden crest of Aincrad. A golden bird was surrounded by a block-like cirlce. Aincrad, the Kingdom that lives freely like the bird and at peace with other kingdoms and countries. His father had been ruling for eighteen years and kept a strong truce with everyone around, especially the King of Alfheim, Oberon.

A feeling of dread slowly formed at the bottom of the Prince's stomach. He didn't know why, but every time he thought of Oberon, he felt completely uneasy. Like something bad would happen if he actually met the King. Since he was the first born son and heir to the throne, he would have to take his father's place. But would his people listen to him, a prince they had never seen?

He sighed and decided not to wear the cloak today. It wasn't really cold for a late Anemone morning, anyway. He wasn't even allowed to go out today (or any day), so what was the point when all he was going to do was study?

It was always like this. He would be woken up by any random creature (like the bird, sometimes he would wake up to a cat nipping at his nose, or a squirrel stuffing nuts into his pillow), get dressed before his personal servant arrives at his door, then enjoy an extremely healthy breakfast served in the dining hall. And, yes. That was his normal everyday life style. Sadly, he doesn't enjoy studying immediately after breakfast.

The Prince sighed as he walked over to his mirror to make sure he was ready for another boring day of his "isolated" life. A fifteen-year-old boy with silk black hair and really dark blue (nearly black) eyes stared back at him, but wasn't smiling. The bird flew over and perched on his shoulder with a happy tweet. It picked at the ends of his hair and pulled out a small twig that was tangled in there. The Prince's eyes widened.

"Ah! That was in there?!" he exclaimed as he tugged the twig out and straightened out the tangle. He quickly ran his pale hands through his hair. Small bits and pieces of leaves and flower petals fell out with ease. He quickly picked up the mess and hurried over to his window, throwing them out. He smiled as he turned to the bird on his shoulder.

"You have my thanks, blue jay." he said as he switched to speaking formally. He held out his hand as the bird took flight and perched on his forefinger. "It is high time for me to give you a name…"

"Chirp!"

"Now, what name would fit a bird like you…" he trailed off as he looked out his window. Purple-gray majestic mountain stood several miles away from the castle. A lush, green forest surrounded the base of the mountains. Meadows filled with blue bell flowers stretched over the between the castle walls and the forest. The Prince turned away from his window and opened the glass doors leading into the wide, open balcony. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it, enjoying the cool breeze. The sky above was clear and bright. A sudden thought crossed his mind.

"You would not mind the name 'Yume', would you?" he asked the small bird. The bird tilted its head, as if to ask why. The Prince smiled. "I had read in books that in the ancient language of Aincradian, the word 'yume' translates to 'dream'. Now, why have I given you this name? Simply because you remind me of a bird I had seen in a dream."

The bird chirped happily, liking its new name. The Prince laughed lightly as he enjoyed his moment to relax before th-

*Knock, knock, knock!*

He inwardly groaned as Yume took flight and nestled into a nearby tree. Biting back a curse, he turned to the door and waited for his servant's voice.

"Prince Kazuto!" came a composed, elegant voice. "Your Highness, it's time to get up!"

The Prince, Kazuto, stayed rooted at his place as the door opened.

"Your highness-oh?" Light footsteps clanked off the tiled floor as his servant appeared at the balcony doors. He finally turned around to face her. A young woman with beautiful silver hair tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were a gentle pair of blue. She was dressed in a simple hazel dress. A sword was strapped on a belt that wrapped around her waist. She bowed low in respect.

"Good morning, My Prince. How are you this morning?" she greeted. Kazuto sighed.

"Good morning, Yulier. I am well." he answered. "Please rise. It is only you and me."

Yulier rose from her bow with her lips pressed to a thin line. "But-"

"Again, Yulier," the Prince stressed, "Please, call me Kazuto. Can't you convince Ryoutarou to teach me how to hold a sword? Please?"

She sighed. "If you insist...Your-I mean, Kazuto, I have been ordered by your father that you were not to learn the sword. Isn't it a bit too early in the morning to be this eager? Usually by noon, you are pestering the knights to teach you…"

Kazuto laughed lightly as he shook his head. "Well, I am a little energetic today."

Yulier sighed but smiled nonetheless. "Please spare my husband today."

"I will try." Kazuto said as Yulier walked up to him. He allowed her to look over him.

"You know, there is a reason why I come up here every morning. I'm supposed to be dressing you up for the day. It's my job. And how you manage to get up earlier than your sister amazes me." Yulier said as she ran her hands through his hair to make it seem more formal.

Kazuto's face flushed in embarrassment. "I'm fifteen, and I can take care of myself. I'm not the ten-year-old child you knew when you first started here!"

Yulier chuckled in amusement. "Not in my eyes, My Prince."

"Ka-zu-to!" corrected the Prince as he gently pushed her hands away. He strode past her and took a seat at the edge of his bed with a look of slight frustration. "Yulier, do you think Father will let me out one day?"

Yulier gently closed the balcony doors behind her before answering. "Well, I do believe that he will when the time is right.

Kazuto fell back and laid on his back. "But when? I'm almost sixteen and my coming of age is just two years away!"

"Just be a little more patient, Your-I mean, Kazuto." Yulier said as she took a seat by her prince. She folded her hands and prepared herself to listen to the teen rant. Kazuto never really ranted much, but when he did, she was always there to hear him out.

"Father is always allowing Suguha to go outside, and even train with a sword, but never me! How can I be king when I don't know how to hold a sword!? Heck, even Mother knows how to use one!" Kazuto exclaimed as he dropped his formal speaking. He looked at the sword strapped to Yulier's side. "Even you…"

She sighed. "Kazuto, there are times where people do some pretty ridiculous things, but are usually done with a perfectly good reason. I do not know why the King does not let you out, but for a noble king like him, I'm sure he has a perfectly good reason."

Kazuto sighed in defeat. "Let's just hope it is. I am really tired of being caged in here."

Before Yulier could answer, three obnoxious knocks sounded at his door. The two shared a look of confusion as Yulier got up to answer the door.

A guard dressed in an old traditional style of the Far East (oriental). A red bandana was tied around his head and had a katana strapped to his waist. His hair was a burning red and had a pair of happy, brown eyes. A big smile lit up his face and Kazuto grimaced.

The happy-go-lucky castle guard leader had arrived.

"Good morning, Your Highness, Yulier!" the guard greeted happily as he entered the room. The Prince quickly sat up and closed his eyes for a bit to prepare himself.

"Good morning, Captian Ryoutarou." Yulier replied, bowing slightly with a small smile. Kazuto stood up and forced a smile.

"Good morning...Ryoutarou." Kazuto said as he slipped back into formal speaking. "Has something gone amiss?"

Ryoutarou placed his hands at his hip. "Gone amiss, Your Highness? I can assure you everything is fine. Is it unusual for me to greet you 'good morning'?"

Kazuto gave him a stare. "Yes."

Yulier smiled. "At least I am not the only one greeting this early this morning, Your Highness."

"Actually, Yulier," Ryoutarou began, "There is something I need to discuss with the Prince. It's quite urgent."

Kazuto held back a sigh. "Now? The day has barely begun." He gave the guard a slightly annoyed look. He just got up and still tired from his late night 'studying', plus, he was hungry. Heck, he didn't even want to get up this morning until that little blue jay pricked him.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but it can't wait." Ryoutarou apologized. Yulier bowed her head politely.

"Then, I will take my leave. Your breakfast will be brought up to your quarters soon, My Prince. Today, His Majesty asked that you stay here while he has a meeting to attend to." she said. Kazuto blinked.

"A meeting with who?" he asked. Ryoutarou cleared his throat.

"He did not say, Your Highness." he answered for Yulier. The Prince sighed and sat back down on his bed with his left hand running through his hair.

"Alright. You may leave, Yulier." he addressed. His servant wordlessly left the room and closed the door behind her. Kazuto slowly blinked at Klien as he folded his hands together on his lap.

"You suck. A lot." he said rather bluntly, throwing all formality out the window. Ryoutarou's eyebrows shot up.

"Your Highness!" he exclaimed. Kazuto ignored his exclaimation and crossed his arms with a bored frown.

"What exactly is so important that it cannot wait for half an hour?" he asked. Ryoutarou quickly regained his composure.

"Well, since your sixteenth birthday is coming in a month, your father, the King, wanted me to tell you that you will be given a guard befo-"

"A guard?! I already have you, don't I?!" Kazuto interrupted. The castle guard shook his head and continued on.

"Before then. You'll have three choices. I am not one of them. All candidates will be from the Knights of the Blood Oath Guild. Hand picked by Heathcliff." he said with a grimace. Kazuto hopelessly stared at him.

"Mind telling me why? I don't need protecting when I have you and Yulier! I cannot even leave the castle and now your telling me that I need a guard within the castle walls?!" Kazuto snapped. "I suppose this is another one of father's odd orders?"

Ryoutarou gave a sympathetic smile. "My Prince, I am sure the King is only thinking of your safety."

Kazuto huffed and waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. I'll accept. Now go and tell my father."

Ryoutarou bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness."

Kazuto let out a sigh of frustration as his door closed once more, uncrossing his arms and resting his hands on his lap. Yume, the bird, flew back into his room and landed in his hands. It chirped at the Prince. He smiled at the small creature.

"I'm fine, Yume." he said gently, softly petting the bird's head with his forefinger. "I'm starting have a feeling that father is being a little too overprotective."

Yume chirped twice and Kazuto chuckled as he understood the bird. "Of course, you can stay here with me today."

Before the bird answered, his head snapped up in shock. A sudden aura of bloodlust hit him with such a force it made him clamp his hands harshly around Yume and bring the bird close to his chest. The air around him dropped noticeably and it was getting hard to breathe. With a hesitant voice, he called out.

"Who goes there?!"

A cloaked, hooded person dressed in red and black appeared on the floor of his balcony and slowly approached the glass doors. Kazuto immediately saw the glint of silver of a long steel sword. He leapt up from his bed and inched to his door. He cursed. He didn't have any form of weapon in his room and regretted not keeping at least a dagger hidden under his bed or something! He watched in frustration as a black gloved hand reached for the handle-

The door behind him suddenly opened and hit Kazuto's back. He gasped as he stumbled forward and caught himself. He looked back and saw his teacher, Thinker, popping his head through the door with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Your Highness, I was knocking at the door-" Kazuto heard the glass shatter behind him and the cloaked figure dashed into his room.

He was suddenly shoved to the side as Thinker drew his sword and blocked the attack meant for the Prince.

"T-thinker!" Kazuto exclaimed. The cloaked figure and his teacher were locked into place.

"Your Highness, go! Leave at once!" Thinker shouted. Kazuto wordlessly nodded and quickly ran out the door and into the spiral staircase of the tower. He held Yume close to him as he nearly ran into Ryoutarou.

"Ryoutarou! Thank the Goddess!" he exclaimed as he finally released Yume from his grip. The bird flapped its wings and hovered above the surprised and relieved Kazuto.

"My Prince! I heard glass shattering! What happened? Are you alright?" Ryoutarou asked hurriedly. Kazuto took a calming breath and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine, but Thinker is there and needs your help! Hurry and aid him!" Kazuto ordered. Ryoutarou shot up the stairs without another word.

Kazuto let out a shaky sigh and cursed his luck. If only his father just allowed him to learn how to fight, he wouldn't have to pretend to be a helpless little Prince. But he knew with a sinking feeling that he couldn't. Outside, he was Kirito, the mysterious Black Swordsman with an extraordinary gift. One of the strongest. But, within the castle walls, he was Kazuto, the sheltered Prince of Aincrad, and heir to the Throne.

The weakest child of the King.


	3. The King of Aincrad and Heathcliff's Candidates

Chapter 3: The King of Aincrad and Heathcliff's Candidates

The King of Aincrad held back a sigh as he watched his council argue back and forth between themselves. They were arguing about who to send to greet the King of Alfheim. To him, it was completely ridiculous. He was called to a meeting this early in the morning to discuss last-minute about who to greet Oberon?!

He mentally huffed but kept his composure with a straight back, hands rested on the edge of his armrest, and a slight look of irritation. He should be getting ready to meet his son at the dining hall and spend a day with him! But, his stupid-excuse him-(un)wise counsel just had to call him out to change his plans!

"I think we should send-" began one of the old wrinkly men sitting around the table. The King was done with this pointless argument.

"I will be the one to greet him. Just as I have done for the past twenty years." he said in his regal voice. The council turned to look at him in surprise, some sighing in relief. He stood up in a swift movement and gave a stern glare.

"What is wrong with this council? You people may think that your place is more important than others, but let us not forget the purpose of a council." he reprimanded. The King shook his head in grave disappointment. "Calling a meeting that is overly pointless and utterly useless is a waste of our time and energy. I trust that this will never happen again?"

One of the council members stood up and bowed in respect. "Our apologies, My King. We did not call for meeting over King Oberon's greeter. In fact, we were planning to discuss about Prince Kazuto's guard. I believe we should choose his guard."

The King slowly blinked. "Lord Aron. I have already asked the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath to choose three candidates capable of being my son's guard last night."

"Heathcliff, My King? Are you sure you can trust him?" asked another council member. The King crushed his urge to roll his eyes as the newest member of his council, Lord Adan, spoke up. He didn't like Adan. It wasn't because he was a middle aged man who was a former war veteran, but rather his constant questions and disagreements.

"He leads a group of rogues that were picked off the streets! No one there is of noble blood. Let alone worthy to be in our capital!" Lord Adan spat. Many others agreed with him. A woman huffed in frustration.

"If I may, this council is not completely made up of nobility. I recall that Lord Harris and Lady Ravena were born in the commoner class." she snapped. The King raised his hand the silence them.

"Peace, Lady Rowena. There is no need for unnecessary arguments." he said. With a heavy sigh, he began to cross the war room with slow, echoing steps. Many of the other seated council members felt a shiver run down their spines while a few inwardly sighed, knowing that it wasn't going to end very well. "You people must have forgotten, and it seems I need to remind you yet again."

He stopped next to Lord Aron with a cold, deadly stare, quickly reminding every one of how dangerous their king was. "I am King. I choose what must be done and how it will be done. I came here, thinking there was an emergency that needed my immediate attention."

"But, My King-" Lord Aron tried to save himself, but the King's glare became colder and silenced him immediately.

"I understand you are worried for whom my son's guard will be, but you will have no part in choosing who it will be. It will be Kazuto's choice, and only by his choice." he emphasized coldly. Lord Aron bowed his head and took his seat again with a small "Yes, Your Majesty."

The King gave a curt nod and resumed his slow, intimidating walk. As he passed, a few members squirmed in their chair, unable to stay calm. He stopped directly behind Lord Adan. "Lord Adan, your constant questioning is beginning to make me wonder..."

The lord swallowed silently in nervousness. "What is it, Your Majesty?"

SHHIINK!

It took everything for Lord Adan not to cry out as he jumped in his seat. A beautifully crafted black sword was deeply impaled into the open space between him an another member (who didn't dare to move since he saw it coming). Elucidator, the prized blade of Aincrad, gleamed dangerously. The King's grip on his sword was tight as he leaned in slightly. Lord Adan could feel the King's intimidating presence very close.

"Just what are you up to, Lord Adan?" the King questioned with a hint of morbid curiosity in his voice. The lord didn't answer in fear of the King's next move.

He smiled politely, but everyone could see the dark intent hidden behind it. "Do you have a sinister plan like half of the members here? I will assure you, I will not hesitate to kill you and have the other members take care of the mess you'll make. In fact, I can use an example right now..."

The King slowly pulled his sword out as he spoke and held it a millimeter away from Lord Adan's throat.

"W-wait! Your Majesty! I have no such plan! I swear! I only wish for my Prince's safety! Please, My King! Spare me and I will no longer question you, Your Majesty!" Lord Adan begged.

With a roll of his eyes, the King lowered his sword and took one step back.

"I hope this does not happen again. I am sick and tired of all these pointless reminders. But keep in mind, do not take my kindness for granted. If I didn't have children, I would've thrown you out a long time ago." he said, darkly. There was a heavy silence as he turned around. "This meeting is adjourned."

The King brandished his sword and it disappeared in streams of black lights. With a radiant smile, he gave everyone an encouraging wave, dropping his deadly act and became his usually normal, composed self. "And please do have a good day!"

Once outside the war room, the King sighed heavily ran a hand through his hair, relieved to finally drop his scary act. "Stupid council..."

He looked up at the sound of fast footsteps heading his way. A familiar woman held the front of her dress up as her heels clicked loudly. She quickly spotted the King and called out to him.

"Your Majesty!" she shrieked as the King watched her stop before him with surprise.

"Lady Ravena, is something wrong?" he asked as she paused to catch her breath.

"Forgive me, but you must come quickly! His Highness was attacked!" she exclaimed in panic. "Someone tried to kill the Prince!"

"Kazuto!" The King gasped as he dropped all formality and ran down the halls. He was filled with fear and rage as he ran. No one had ever done something this ridiculous in under his reign before. He couldn't lose his son. Actually, he can never lose her son. After all, Kazuto was the promise he made to her.

And the King of Aincrad was determined to keep it.

._._._._._.

Asuna was standing before her guild leader with a confused face. "Is something going on, Heathcliff? You don't usually call me up like this."

Heathcliff frowned. "And for that, I'm sorry. But, there is something I really need to talk to you and two others. It's...unbelievably important."

"Unbelievably...?" Asuna asked as the double doors behind her opened. She turned to see two men wearing the Kights of Blood Oath uniform walked into the average sized circle room. She instantly recognized them. "Kuradeel? Godfree? Heathcliff called you guys up here to?"

Godfree nodded as he stopped to stand by her. "A moment ago."

"What is it now, Heathcliff? I'm a bit busy at the moment." Kuradeel demanded as he rested a hand on his sword at his side. Their leader sighed.

"Impatient, aren't we? Well, the King gave me a task that I can't believe he did." he said vaguely. Asuna placed her hands at her hip as she leaned forward.

"And that is?" she prompted. Heathcliff shook his head and rested his arms on the desk before him.

"Would you guys like a shot at getting a new high paying job that pays higher than you're getting now?" Heathcliff asked. The three Knights shared a look of confusion.

"Heathcliff, are you dodging our question?" Godfree asked. Asuna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, just tell us already. There's no need to sugar coat anything, right?" she said. They stood in silence as Heathcliff contemplated. Should he be quick about this? Or prolong it a little longer. The anxious (Kuradeel was outright frowning) looks on the others' faces told him the answer. With a final sigh, he finally answered their question.

"The King is looking for three candidates to protect someone. And that someone is...well...the Prince of Aincrad." He said rather reluctantly. Asuna's eyes widened with Godfree's while Kuradeel's jaw dropped.

"The Prince?!" Kuradeel exclaimed as he dropped his arms. Godfree blinked several times as he was trying to process the piece of information.

"But, Heathcliff, how can we protect someone we haven't seen?!" Asuna gasped. Heathcliff gave a sympathetic look.

"I haven't seen him either. In fact, I can't even catch a glimpse of him when I'm in the castle..." he said as he shrugged helplessly.

Asuna crossed her arms with a sigh. "I know this sounds ridiculous, but no one has ever seen the Prince of Aincrad. Not even when he was a baby. Heck, not even the half the castle guards knows what he looks like!"

Heathcliff sighed heavily as he face-palmed. Today was definitely going to be a long, long day. "Why don't you guys consider this as an opportunity? An opportunity to meet the Prince and be one of the very first to do so? A good chance, right?"

"You mean, one of us will become his guard?" Kuradeel asked as he brought a hand to his chin to think. Godfree reluctantly shrugged.

"When you put it that way, it does seem like a good opportunity..." he said as he also thought over it. Asuna placed a hand at her waist.

"Heathcliff...please give me time to think this over." she requested. Her leader nodded.

"Alright. I will give the three of you three days to think about your answer. Is that fine?" Heathcliff offered. The three members nodded.

"Yes, sir!" They said in unison. Heathcliff sighed yet again.

"Alright, you may go."

Kuradeel and Godfree left, saying that they had something to do, but Asuna stayed behind. Before she came to her leader's office, she was planning to actually speak with him. Well, to report actually.

"Heathcliff, I have something to discuss with you." she said.

"I suppose it's about the murderer?" Heathcliff questioned. She nodded. "What is it?"

"I've been doing some asking around and I found out that the murderer hasn't left town yet. There had been sightings of a person dressed in black walking around at night. Most say that they were near the Royal Castle." Asuna reported. Heathcliff hummed and nodded.

"That's not good. Asuna, I want you to go and investigate. Keep your distance and look out for that suspicious figure. Once you found him, arrest him and bring him here." he ordered. Asuna nodded curtly.

"Yes, sir! I promise I'll catch him before he tries to kill again." she declared. She turned around and left Heathcliff by himself.


	4. A Warning

Chapter 4: A Warning

Kazuto absolutely hated being babied over. It was hard to convince everyone that he was completely fine. Yulier never left his side when she returned with haste when she heard what happened (she literally dropped everything in her hands and ran to his side with her hand ready to unsheathed her sword, nearly scaring the crap out of Kazuto). Klein and Thinker captured the attacker and made sure that the castle guards locked him up in the dungeon. But once they returned they kept asking if he was fine. The Prince had to constantly repeat himself over and over again that he nearly snapped at them to shut up for once. Once everything was fine, the other castle servants quickly cleaned up the mess in his room and covered to now open doorway with thick, heavy curtains.

Apparently, news traveled pretty quickly. When Kazuto returned to his room with Yume perched on his shoulder and forcefully dismissed everyone, he took the time to take a deep breath and-

Slam!

Kazuto nearly shrieked and Yume squeaked with her wings flapping wildly in the air. A black-haired man in his late twenties hurriedly walked up to his son with his majestic blue coat flowing with him. A golden crown was slightly tilted in his rush to Kazuto's room. Plainly put, he was practically and older version of Kazuto. The only difference was Kazuto was still a teen and he looked more like someone else with his midnight blue eyes and pale complexion from lack of light. Kazuto noted the worry in his father's sky blue, yet slightly tinted red eyes.

"Kazuto! You're not hurt, are you?!" The King asked as he dropped his formality, surprising Kazuto and lightly placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Father, I am fiiiiiiiine!" Kazuto drawled out as he kindly pushed his father's hands away from him. He quickly reminded himself that his father was not twenty, but rather in his early forties. Yume fluttered around and nestled in a comfy spot on his bed. "I am unharmed and well. Can you not see that?"

The King frowned with worry as he looked over his son with his midnight blue eyes. True to his word, Kazuto didn't have a scratch anywhere in sight, nor was there a tear in his clothes. He was relieved and pulled his son into a tight hug. "Thank the heavens, you are unharmed!"

Kazuto was tense in his father's arms, but he slowly relaxed. He closed his eyes and partially hugged his father back in amusement. "See? I told you I am perfectly fine. Why must you always worry?"

He nearly flinched under the king's grip as he tightened the hug. He had forgotten that his father was much stronger than he looked.

"You know why." The King responded. Kazuto sighed and opened his eyes. If anyone was watching, one could see the hint of grief. He gently released his father and took one step back. Kazuto placed the most convincing, reassuring smile he could possibly muster and held his hands away from his sides, as he rocked on his feet like a child.

"Father, there's no need to worry. I have been clear of any ailments for the past few days. No nightmares of anything either." he said as he gestured to himself. The King raised his eye brows.

"No more nightmares? Are you sure?" he questioned caustiously. Kazuto wanted to roll his eyes but didn't. His father was always like this. Even for the smallest things, he would be pestured about his welfare and such until it completely annoyed him. Kazuto sighed in his head as he nodded, keeping his childish act.

"Yes. I'm very sure." he answered firmly. The King heaved a heavy sigh and sat down on Kazuto's bed. He took a look around his son's room and only noted the curtain. "I see there is a slight change in your room."

Kazuto looked the looked the other way and nervousness. "Well...the glass doors broke, so there wasn't much the servants could do..."

A light chuckle made him look at his father in slight confusion. A smile was clear on the King's face as he gustured Kazuto to sit next to him.

"Did I say something odd?" Kazuto asked as he took a seat next to his father. The King shook his head.

"Oh no, no, you didn't. In fact, I just came up with a wonderful plan!" he said happily as he placed his hands behind him on the bed and leaned back. "I have completely cleared my schedule for this morning and I believe we should enjoy it together with your mother and sister. Sound good?"

Kazuto blinked at him. "Father, are you sure? I was told to stay here all day because you ordered it."

"Ah," the King raised a hand and waved it dismissively, "That? Well, that was because the Council had something to discuss with me, but it was quite pointless and just..."

"Stupid?" Kazuto offered as a smile began to form on his face. The two royalty shared a glance.

"Exactly."

Laughter echoed through the room as they couldn't help it. Kazuto shook his head.

"It's sounds like its high time for the older ones to retire if all they do is argue and such over non trivial matters." he said as his father nodded and patted his head lightly, yet strongly.

"Haha, you fine, alright. For someone who was nearly killed this morning, you're awfully cheery. Or is there something else?" the King noted. Kazuto's laughter quickly ceased as he scratched the back of his neck. There was a moment of silence as he tried to come up with something convincing. To be honest, he wasn't really calm. So many questions were there at the back of his head, but he used his father as an excuse to not worry. Questions like, "who is trying to kill me?", "how did they know who I am?", or "was this all planned?". But there was a more dreaded question he didn't want to hear the answer to.

**Who else knew he was the Prince?**

Kazuto shook his head and held his arms. He didn't look at his father as he spoke. "How does a normal person deal with something like this? Father, I'm really scared but am I not supposed to?"

The King sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "Kazuto, it's normal to be scared. I may not look like it, but even I, the King of Aincrad, can get scared too. I mean, I thought I was going to lose you earlier. Being scared and having these emotions prove that you're human."

The Prince looked at his father. "Why do I get the feeling that there's a huge meaning behind those words...?"

His father shook his head with a light chuckle as he changed the subject. "Well! I think it's high time for us to officially start the day at the dining hall. I'm sure the girls are already impatient waiting for us."

Kazuto allowed his father to take his arm and followed him to the dining hall. He was silent most of the way as the King happily began suggesting what they should do this morning and such. To put it plainly, he was distracted. Usually, his father never changes subjects just like that.

Another thing to add to my brand new list of "odd things with Father". Kazuto thought to himself. He half hoped that these weren't warning signs of anything bad happening in the future.

._._._._._.

_A fire was burning in the gardens and the castle inside was in panic. People dressed in fancy dresses and formal suits with party masks were running away from cloaked figures with blood stained swords. Left and right, common folk and nobles were being cut down, regardless of gender, and regardless of age, armed or unarmed. Blood spilt across the ball room floors and pillars, and stained the white brick walls in the halls._

_Screams of horror and terror echoed through the night air. He cut down another cloaked man that tried to kill him with his signature sword. As much as it pained him, he kept an impassive face as he quickly left to ball room to find his son._

_He could see his son in the distance being ripped away from the fray by his most trusted castle guard and newest guardian. The boy struggled against his escorts and kept looking back. The stunning black, feathery mask that once covered his eyes had been long gone, revealing his panicked midnight blue eyes. He could hear the boy's desperate pleas._

_"No! Wait! Let me go! Ryoutarou, please!" he cried. The castle guard tightened his grip on the boy's waist._

_"I'm sorry, I can't do that! We must go!" he insisted. The boy shook his head and tugged away from Ryoutarou._

_"No! I can't! Suguha and mother is still in there! Even father!" he argued. A teenaged girl tugged on his wrist and shook her head._

_"There's no time! You have to leave!" she forced as the scent of blood began to overwhelm her._

_He shook his head and approached the group. "Ryoutarou, let me see my son."_

_The boy shot out of his escorts' grip as soon as they slackened in shock. They both gasped at the King. "Your Majesty!"_

_"Father!" the boy cried and stumbled to a sudden stop in front of him in_ _horror. The King looked down and frowned at the blood splattered all over his favorite coat. It wasn't a surprise that his son wouldn't hug him. Who wanted to hug a killer?_

_What happened next was a blur. He handed his son his sword and gave him a few words of instruction. He forced his son to leave the castle with his most trusted servants. The moment he turned around, he saw a familiar face. And in that person's hands was a sword pointed at his heart._

_"Your time ends here, Human Demon King. Titania's death shall be avenged! You must die! You and my wretched nephew!"_

._._._._._.

"Kazune!"

The King of Aincrad jumped slightly and woke up from his daze. His blue-red eyes wide with shock and disbelief as they darted around. He was in his library with a man his pointed ears and The King of Alfheim was holding his friend's shoulders with both hands to calm him down.

"Kazune, it's alright! Everything is fine and nothing is wrong. Now for the Goddess's sake! Breathe!" Oberon advised. The other King nodded tried to calm himself. His breaths were uneven and slightly ragged. It took him a couple moments, but Oberon was there to keep him up right and ease him with calming words. "There's nothing to be scared of."

Kazune, the King, nodded thankfully as Oberon lead him to a nearby chair. He plopped down without any grace. "Thank you, Oberon. I thought I was about to have a heart attack."

Oberon frowned. "You had it again, didn't you? Kazune, if this keeps going on, you will die quite early."

The King bit the back of his lip and shook his head wearily. "These visions I see cannot be helped, my friend. And must I constantly remind you that I am twenty years older than I look?"

Green fairy wings twitched in slight amusement as Oberon smiled hopelessly. "Of course. Your looks are so deceiving, it makes it hard to remember your true age. Even if I had known you for years."

Kazune rolled his eyes. He felt his body tire as he tried to focus on the blonde haired, green eyed, fairy King before him. "Please, Oberon, don't add to my stress."

"Oh, please. I'm easily sixty years older than you, Kazune. As a faerie king, I age much slower than an average faerie." Oberon joked with a smile. His expression became focused as his tone became serious. "Now, can you tell me what you saw?"

"Why must I always tell you? It has nothing to do with your country." Kazune scoffed.

"What? I can't offer my friend some advice? I'm trying to help you." The Fairy King stressed as he stared into Kazune's eyes. Kazune sighed and looked away.

"Oberon," he began, "I trust you, and you are like a brother to me-"

"I am your brother." Oberon interrupted. Kazune gave him a look.

"Brother-in-law." he corrected. He continued on as he ignored his friend's frown. "But, this one...you are better off not knowing."

Oberon scoffed. "Let me guess, another gory one?"

"My Goddess, I swear you have the abilities to read minds!" Kazune stressed. He groaned as he felt an oncoming headache. He let his head fall back and stared up at his ceiling in hopelessness. "Goddess Etra, why did you choose me to inherit your eyes?"


	5. Mistaken Suspect

Chapter 5: Mistaken Suspect

The candlelight flickered gently as night grew long. It lit up a small portion of the center of the darkening library of the castle as two children (or should I say, teens) were sitting at a finely wooden table with a marble chess board between them. Nine black chess pieces sat innocently at one side of the table.

"...and checkmate. This makes it the 384th win for me." said the Prince as he slid his white bishop in front of his opponent's black king. Across him, the girl with short black hair and matching eyes, glared at him. She wore a navy blue, long lace dress that frilled at her skirt. Her left wrist was wrapped in a delicate blue ribbon with a bow. Of course, Kazuto didn't miss the gleam of Suguha's silver dagger at her side.

"Argh! Why do you have to be so good in chess?!" the Princess of Aincrad complained. Kazuto shrugged with an innocent smile on his face.

"Suguha," he began, "A lady should never complain. It's very unladylike."

Kazuto laughed lightly and shook his head as Suguha's face glowed red in embarrassment. "Well, a gentleman shouldn't be so brutal with his sister!"

"Brutal? I was going easy on you. Besides, you still got 273 chances to catch up." Kazuto said casually. Suguha slapped her hands on the wooden table.

"Oh, for the love of Etra! We didn't even reach thirteen turns yet, and you call this 'going easy' on me?!" she demanded. Before Kazuto could answer, a motherly voice interrupted them.

"Suguha. That is no way to treat your brother."

The two looked up and saw a beautiful, black haired woman with ebony eyes standing in front of the doorway into the library. She wore a long, crimson corset dress with ribbon sleeves. Her hair was tied into a bun behind her. In her lightly tanned hand was a small taper candle in an elegant glass holder.

Kazuto resisted the urge to grimace when he saw his mother's sword, the Anneal Blade, strapped to her side. He always wanted to at least hold it, but his mother was careful to keep it away from him. Usually, his mother never wore her sword around the castle. But, he internally sighed. After all, everyone who knew how to defend themselves had some sort of weapon on them. Even the maids, at the very least, had a dagger on them.

"But mother-" Suguha began. The Queen of Aincrad silenced her with a look.

"Now, I know it's early but now is not the time to be messing around. Kazuto, the moon has appeared. It time for you to go to bed." their mother said. She held the candle a little higher and gave her son a look.

Kazuto shared an apologetic glance with his sister as got up to leave. "I'm sorry, mother. I lost track of time. Good night, Suguha."

"Good night, Kazuto! Thanks for that _teaching_ game. I _really_ appreciate it." Suguha said as he passed her, patting her head gently. She watched as her mother followed him out before turning back to the chess board.

"Suguha, I will return. It's almost time for your late evening lessons with me." the Queen said over her shoulder. Suguha replied with a quick , "Yes, mother!" Their footsteps echoed and faded as her mother escorted Kazuto back to his tower. She picked up the white king and frowned.

Each time they played chess, she never allowed Kazuto to play black. There was a reason why, too. It wasn't because she wanted to play black, it was something odd that really made Kazuto seem...different. Sometimes, she wouldn't see her frail, kind-hearted, shy older brother, who was afraid of the outside world. She caught glimpses of someone who was braver, stronger, and defiant. Every time he held a black chess piece, it reminded her about the rumors she heard about a mysterious boy dressed in black.

A boy who was young, and amazingly strong. The boy whose considered to be a good as their king. In other words, as good as Suguha's father. Barely anyone has seen his face because he was only seen at night. There was no way Kazuto could be that same boy. He practically scared of anything. His arms were thin and couldn't hold more than four textbooks. He was small and sick, even though he had been improving for the last two years.

Suguha sighed and shook her head. She placed the white king back in the board and a small dismissing smile.

 _There's no way that Kazuto is him._ She thought to herself.

._._._._._.

After the Queen escorted her son to the Western Tower of the castle, she left him with Yulier at the bottom floor of the tower. Kazuto wasn't all that happy, but didn't have much of a choice and bared it with a smile. Well... That was until...

"Yulier! I know exactly what I'm doing so I definitely don't need you in here!" Kazuto said with a bright red face as he poked his head out of the bathing room. Yulier tried to hold back a laugh as she raised an eyebrow.

"Then you know how to properly-" she began, but Kazuto was quick to cut her off with a shirt flying in her direction.

"Yulier!" he cried as he attempted to glare at her but failed miserably. Yulier had a wide smile on her face. Oh, Goddess, how he hated her messing with him in the most personal and private things! He was fifteen and he knew how to Goddess-damn handle himself! "I can wash myself, now stop bothering me and do whatever you have to do that doesn't deal with helping me bathe!"

He slammed the door shut as Yulier began to laugh. Kazuto cursed. Almost every night, Yulier would offer her help and he would normally politely refuse, but today, she was being too insistent. He never allowed her to help ever since he began to sneak out of the castle two years ago. Afterall, he didn't want her to see that faint scars and cuts that marred his skin. Especially the jagged white scar that ran from his left knee to his hip.

Kazuto grimaced at the memory. About a year ago, he was hunting for a demon hound that threatened his people. He battled the hound and became victorious, but with a price. Luckily, Agil had a healing crystal that sealed the wound. Unfortunately, it left that ugly scar. At least, he didn't die from bloodloss. To him, it served as a reminder that even though he was the strongest, he was not invincible.

Shaking his head, he quickly bathed and changed into the clothes Yulier left outside the door. His night shirt was a mixture of dark gray and green with matching pants. After he was done, Yulier took him up the stairs of the tower to his room.

Kazuto slipped into his bed and curled up under the covers. Yulier just patted his head and hummed tunelessly. He listened to her and tried hard not to doze off. After all, he was planning to head out again.

The moonlight shone through his only window as Yulier blew out the candle of Kazuto's room.

"Good night, Your Highness." she said softly. Kazuto feigned sleepiness.

"Ka-zu-to, Yulier...!" he corrected tiredly. He heard Yulier chuckle softly before gently closing the door, finally leaving him alone. He waited for what seemed to be hours (It was only forty minutes), before getting up. He sighed and shook his head to chase away any drowsiness.

Without a sound and a small smile on his face, he was already gone.

._._._._._.

Kirito yawned and stretched his arms above his head as he walked out of a dark alley with his black hood up. He expertly dodged anyone about to run into him and made his way to the Dicey Cafe. No one spared him a second glance as they passed. It usually wasn't busy at night, but since his birthday was a month away, the whole town is already preparing.

It warmed his heart to know that his people loved him, even though they never seen him. Each year, the Castletown would throw a huge festival in hopes to bring their beloved Prince out of the castle. Even though it was quite obvious that some of the people believed that the Prince didn't care, they still celebrated his birthday. Little did they know that after fourteen years, it actually did bring him out of the castle. Well, at night.

When Kirito arrived at the Dicey Cafe, he went to the back and pulled out the same loose plank he always used. He stuffed his bag inside and kept his swords with him since he planned to go on a night walk. Only to clear his head for a bit. Once he was done, he entered through the back door into the kitchen. He could clearly hear the joyful songs and already drunken voices sang. Kirito was greeted by a familiar face.

"Ah! Kirito! I'm surprised you made it." said Agil as he filled a huge mug with beer from a huge barrel on its side. "Just one moment, I'll be right back!"

Kirito only nodded as Agil took the mug into the bar. It took a couple minutes for the bar owner to come back. Once he entered, Kirito crossed his arms.

"Agil, did you hear anything strange today?" he asked as Agil dumped some dirty dishes into a barrel full of water. The bar owner looked up with concern in his eyes.

"Strange? More like absurd!" he stated. "I heard that someone tried to assassinate our Prince! But, since you're here, I doubt that you were injured."

Agil's eyes scanned Kirito's appearance before grabbing another cup from the one of his many cabinets, apparently satisfied to see no apparent injury. The teen sighed heavily and dropped his arms. "Oh, Etra, you would not believe how much it scared my father. It was like he has gonna have a heart attack!"

He leaned against the wall and frowned. "But, I don't know if this is connected to that murderer on the loose. It seems all too coincidental."

Agil shrugged and filled another cup with beer. "Well, I can't say but you're right. Something about this seems awfully convenient-ish." He placed the cup on a wooden tray and filled a plate with roasted rabbit. Kirito nearly gagged at the thought of someone killing a poor innocent life.

Honestly, the mere thought of taking a life never settled well for Kirito. Even with the demon hound, he never killed it. He chased it away and gave it a horrifying memory to never come back. In other words, he was only known as the Black Swordsman, because of his ability to take anyone down without killing.

"Kirito, I'd talk to you more, but right now, I gotta full house. My wife is starting to get irritated." Agil said as he paused at the swinging door leading to the bar. Kirito pulled a half hearted smile.

"Already? It's not even moon high." Kirito joked. The older man frowned as he laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll go and take a walk. To clear my head."

Agil nodded. "Alright, just be careful! I want to see you back by moon high!" he called as Kirito opened the door.

"I will!" he said over his shoulder as Kirito left and Agil walked into his bar. The door slammed shut behind him as Kirito paused to look up at the sky to search for the waning crescent moon. His hood fell away and revealed his face. He had about an hour or two before it was moon high.

He closed his eyes to enjoy the gentle breeze that swept through the back. For a moment, he had forgotten that he was Prince, and all of his stress. That was until he heard a sudden clash of glass and a loud booming voice. No doubt that it was Agil blowing off his stress at the poor man. Kirito shook his head and hurried over to the main street.

He slowed his pace as he began to wander dangerously close to the castle walls. Kirito began to wonder how his life could've been different if he wasn't born royalty. He could've been a normal child that becomes a mercenary later. He could've-

"Stop right there!" exclaimed a voice. Kirito barely had the time to turn around when something-or rather, someone- clashed into his back. He fell face first into the grass with his hood flying back over his head and felt his hands being roughly pulled back.

"Ah! Darn it! That hurts!" he yelled as he struggled against his attacker. He felt something heavy sit on his back.

"I got you now, you murderer!" declared the same voice.

 _A girl. Definitely a girl!_ Kirito thought as her grip tightened. He winced as the weight seemed to get heavier.

"Murderer?! I'm no murderer! I didn't kill anyone!" Kirito yelled. He turned his head to see the girl, but he could barely see her because of the weak moonlight. Her grip got even tighter, and Kirito could feel the scabbards of his twin blades digging into his back. _Crap! She's strong!_

"Don't lie to me, murderer! I know you did it!" she accused. Kirito wanted to hit her head but he was incapable of doing so. He felt her release one hand and removed his hood. She gasped and pulled her hands away from him. "Holy Etra! You're not the murderer! You're just a boy!"

Kirito rolled his eyes and tried to get up, but the girl never got up. "What do you think I've been trying to tell you!? Now, get off me! You're Goddess-damn heavy!"

It seemed to do the trick as the girl scrambled off of him. "I am not heavy!"

She had her hands curled into fists. Kirito sighed in relief as the pain began to subside. He pushed himself up and dusted his black coat off. He could tell she was offended by the mention of her weight, but he didn't really care as he glared up at her in irritation and frustration.

"What was that for?!" Kirito demanded. "Do you accuse anyone who happens to be walking by to try and clear their head?!"

The girl crossed her arms and looked away in embarrassment. "I do not do that! I just-you were just-You just fitted the discription of that murderer who got loose and I just acted without a second thought."

"Was the murderer shorter than you?" Kirito countered. The girl didn't answer. "I didn't think so!"

Kirito shook his head and tried to make out her appearance in the darkness. He could see that she was about a good two inches taller than him and that she was wearing some sort of white and red themed outfit. He sighed.

"Look, it's fine. Just...don't do that again." he said as he began to walk back into town.

"Ah, wait! I'll escort you home! I mean, you are still a kid right?" the girl suddenly offered as she hurried after him. Kirito nearly triped over his own feet, but caught himself as he continued to walk.

"Why do you suddenly care?" he questioned with a twitch of an eyebrow. The girl followed him as they reached the main road. Not many people were around anymore, but an occational late hunter or drunkard going home, were quite notable.

"What? I can't let a child like you to go off on your own! There's a murderer on the loose." the girl explained herself. Kirito groaned as he used both hands to facepalm and dragged them down his face.

 _Do I really look that young?! Just why did I take after Father...?_ He thought hopelessly. He stopped and turned to face her. In the faint fire lights from the homes around, he could finally see the girl. Her long hair glowed red-brown and her eyes were a soft hazel. A beautiful rapier was strapped innocently at her left side. She had a look of determination on her face.

Kirito placed his left hand on his hip and shifted his weight on his left leg. "Well, sorry to rain down on your good act of kindness, but I'm fifteen and I can handle myself."

The girl shook her head. "I don't care. Fifteen or not, you're still a kid. A small one at that."

Kirito's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, yeah? I bet you're the same age as me."

A wide grin appeared on her face as she stood taller. "Correction, I almost seventeen, so I'm two years older than you, kiddo!"

The teen scowled. "Correction! I'm turning sixteen next month, so I'm a year younger than you! And don't call me kiddo, it's annoying."

"If you don't give me a name, then kiddo is your name." the girl said simply as she walked passed him with a smug look on her face. Kirito threw his hands up in the air and resumed walking down the street.

"It's Kirito, darn it!"

The girl looked over her shoulder as Kirito caught up to her. "Kirito? Hm...kinda doesn't sound right. It fits you yet...not."

"Eh?" Kirito gave her an odd look as she shook her head. She offered her hand to him.

"I'm Asuna. The Sub-Leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Where do you live, Kirito?" she asked. Kirito stared at her hand as he scrambled for an answer.

"I, ah, live at the Dicey Cafe!" he blurted. Probably wasn't the best idea, but what other choice did he have? Lie and say he was homeless? Yeah, right. How would he explain his clothes?

...Exactly.

Asuna rose an eyebrow and dropped her out stretched hand. "You live in a bar? But Agil and Miyuna don't have a child."

Miyuna was Agil's wife. She never really seemed to be around when Kirito was, but she made sure to have her husband take care of him. Luckily for Kirito, she was a retired nurse in the local apothecary and became his medical doctor every time he was injured somehow. Miyuna never questioned how he received all his cuts and bruises. Kirito was grateful for having her around.

"I was adopted." Kirito said, offhandedly giving the lie that Agil personally suggested the day he came to him. They took a right and ended up in front of the Dicey Cafe. The first floor glowed with firelight and was filled with people eating, drinking, and doing what drunken people do in happy times. Asuna frowned.

"Well, here we are." she said as she gestured the front door. Kirito bypassed the door with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"I never go through the front door." he told Asuna as he headed to the back. He was fully aware of her following him. He stopped to turn around and cross his arms. "Okay, seriously. Why are still following me?"

Asuna placed her hands at her hip. "Like I said, I can't leave you alone at night. It's dangerous."

Kirito scowled. "I can take care of myself! Do you not see these swords strapped to my back?!" He gestured at the said swords and an irritated look. Asuna gave him an "oh, really?" look.

"Do you know how to use them?" she asked with a firm voice. Kirito resisted the urge to throw his arms up in frustration.

"Would I be wearing two swords if I didn't know how to use them both?" Kirito countered. Asuna rolled her eyes.

"I won't believe you until you prove it." she stated. Kirito was about to answer but the same wave of bloodlust struck him again. He subconsciously unsheathed his swords and crossed them in a block formation as a shadow that came flying his way. A rigid sword that was completely bent out of shape struck at the cross of his blades. Kirito's eyes trailed down the sword, past the ruined red cloak, and into the eyes of it's wielder.

His attacker was covered by the long body cloak, but Kirito can clearly see the messy mop of black hair and the crazed, brown eyes. He couldn't be older than his mid-thirties and his strength was making Kirito shake with effort. His sword was a jagged mess but it was as sharp as a hunter's knife. Kirito felt an overwhelming feeling of dread as he forced the man back and jumped away.

"What the-!" He heard Asuna yell as she drew her sword and dashed toward the red cloaked man in attempt to keep him back. But, the man was quick on his feet and he leapt over her. Kirito gritted his teeth as the man rushed toward him again. He knew he didn't have much room to gather enough force for his planned move, so he had to improvise.

Kirito dodged at the last second as the man made a simple jab at him. That was the man's first mistake. Kirito crossed his swords in front of him and slashed at the man's stomach. He was only able to cut the cloth as the man jumped away. But Kirito wasn't done.

He shifted all his weight on his left left and pushed off. He swiftly brought in his right arm and smacked the man in the chest with the hilt of his sword. The man faltered back and barely had the time to recover as Kirito brought his left sword. Oddly, he actually smacked the man with the flat side of his sword. The man stumbled to the right but his sword was still tightly gripped in his hand.

Kirito didn't hesitate to block the sudden swing at his left from the jagged sword with his left sword, efficiently disarming the man with a small flick of his wrist.

"Damn you, Black Swordsman! Goddess Amire curses you! You must die!" the crazed man yelled. Kirito jumped back as he pulled out a dagger that was hidden in his coat and attempted to stab him.

"Goddess Amire?" Kirito muttered under his breath. The name Amire sounded familiar, but Kirito couldn't place a finger on it. Asuna suddenly appeared before him out of no where as the crazed man ran in attempt to kill Kirito again.

She slashed at the man's dagger. Instead of just disarming him, she sliced his hand cleanly off. Kirito watched in horror as blood splattered on the grass and the dissembled hand laid innocently next to him with the dagger still in its grip. The man screamed in agony, no doubt catching the attention of the people in the Dicey Cafe. He held the stub of his arm tightly with his other hand. Blood seemed to soak his sleeve as he tried to stop the bleeding.

Kirito looked up at Asuna and saw that her eyes were no longer gentle. It had a dark gleam of something not identifiable. He couldn't understand why, but he shook in his place. A gnawing grip of anger and drowning fear seemed to radiate from Asuna. Kirito's eyes widened at the sight of her sword. Stains of red could be seen all over her blade, even with the crazed man's fresh blood covering the tip.

"A-Asuna...?" Kirito forced out. The grip on his swords were slipping with the sudden scene before him. He had seen blood before but only his own. To see someone else's bothered him to a certain point. Like now. A small, gentle voice at the back of his head was trying to tell him something but it barely made any sense to him.

_"Heal him."_

"What?" Kirito said to himself. Asuna began to walk up to the screaming man with her sword ready to kill.

The voice came again. _"Heal him. He isn't himself. Heal him, my child."_

"You tired to kill a child." she accused. The man scrambled hopelessly away, knowing his end was coming.

"The Goddess Amire's will shall be done!" he cried desperately, determinded to continue serving his Goddess. "There's nothing you can do to stop it! The Prince and the Black Swordsman must die!"

Asuna had enough. She raised her sword high above her head and struck down.

Cling!

A loud ring of steel meeting steel echoed loudy. Asuna's sword was stopped with both of Kirito's swords. She looked in surprise at the boy as he stared sadly into her eyes. Once the man realized he was saved, he looked at Kirito's back in disbelief.

"Why?" Asuna asked, not backing down or pulling away. Kirito held his swords in a strong grip to keep in place. After all, Asuna was stronger than she looked. "Why did you stop me, Black Swordsman?"

Kirito smiled. "There is no need to kill an unarmed man. His sword is gone and his dagger is far from him. It never matters how evil the person is. A life is a life. And each person must cherish it. How can he make up the crude things that he's done if he's dead, Sub-Leader?"

Asuna stared at him in silence. Slowly, she took a step back and sheathed her sword. "Fine. He's coming back with me to the Blackiron Jail."

Kirito lowered his own and turned to look at the bloodied man behind him. He nearly gagged at the sight, but something else caught his attention. There was no longer a crazed look in his eyes. Instead, there was confusion. Kirito blinked when he noticed the aura of bloodlust was gone.

_"Well done, my child."_

Kirito blinked. He didn't do anything except block Asuna's sword.

"My-my hand! How did this happen?! W-what was I doing..?" The man hurriedly asked in a pained, confused voice. Asuna stepped up and glared hatefully at the man.

"You tried to kill a child. So, I'm arresting you for attempted murder on Kirito's life." she stated as she pulled out a rope from somewhere. The man's eyes widened when she bent down to tie his forearms together.

"What?! But I don't recall doing that!" he claimed. Kirito reached over to grab Asuna but was stopped by a loud, demanding voice.

" _Kirito!_ What in Etra's name were you doing?!"

Kirito spun on his heel and raised his hands in defense. "Wait! Agil, I can explain!"

The tall, dark skinned man marched over to Kirito and picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder. Kirito's swords slipped out of his hands.

"Wah! Agil, put me down!" Kirito cried as he pounded on Agil's back in frustration. Instead, the bar owner's grip tightened as he turned to Asuna.

"I'm really sorry that Kirito caused all this, Asuna." Agil apologized with a bow of his head.

"Agil!" Kirito begged.

Asuna looked up and shrugged. "Oh, it's fine, Agil. He didn't cause any trouble. In fact, I learned something quite...valuable today."

The man gave Kirito a begging look. "Please! I didn't mean to hurt anyone! I'm sorry! Please let me go!"

"Well, good night, Asuna. Thank you for taking care of this brat while I was working." Agil thanked as he ignored the man. Asuna smiled.

"Of course! Good night, Agil!"

Kirito never had the chance to say anything as Agil began to walk away from the scene. He struggled to loosen his grip, but Agil didn't budge. He sighed heavily.

"Great. Two attempted murders in one day. I think more well liked than I originally thought." he muttered under his breath sarcastically. Agil only shook his head as he entered through the back door of his bar.

"You and me are going to have a long talk, Kirito..."


	6. A Father's Reason and A Goddess's Given Nightmare

Chapter 6: A Father's Reason and A Goddess's Given Nightmare

Kazune had a wrenching feeling in his gut as he purposely climbed up the stairs to his son's room. Usually, he never bothered to come to Kazuto's room ever since he turned twelve, but something about tonight just bothered him to no end. He hesitated when he reached the door.

What if he was just worrying for no reason? He shrugged and opened the door. He peeked through the dark room and spotted the bed. He stayed silent for a full five seconds before he frowned.

"I thought so." He said out loud. He closed the door and began walking back down the steps, pretending that he didn't see anything with an unhappy smile.

When he reached the bottom of the steps, his wife, Midori, who was waiting for him, crossed her thin arms and raised an eyebrow.

"What's with that smile on your face?" she asked suspiciously. Kazune widened his empty smile.

"Hm? What smile?" he asked back. Midori shook her head and began walking down the hall to their shared chambers.

"Sometimes, I question your sanity..."

._._._._._.

Kazuto heaved a sigh as he felt an oncoming headache. He was sitting in the back of the castle library with his head resting on his crossed arms as he waited for his father to give him his early morning class about politics and things he could care less about. The sunlight in the room seemed brighter than usual, and strangely, he tripped twice on his way to the library. After the eventful night he had, Agil made him sit and listen to him scold him about having fights outside his bar (not good for business, according to him...). It wasn't odd for Agil to scold him. It was, strangely, a habit for "Kirito" to break a rule or two each time he came down to town.

Surely, he could be just really tired for today...

"Kazuto!"

The tired Prince practically straightened up at the sound of his father's stern voice, now fully awake. The King stood in front of his desk with a slight frown as his son smiled sheepishly at him.

"Good morning, Father! How are you this fine morning?" Kazuto greeted with a small wave. The King blinked.

"...You're awfully chipper this morning considering what you did last night." he said as he placed his hands behind his back.

"Eh...?" Kazuto stared tiredly at his father in confusion. What was his father talking about? He didn't do anything last night...if his father meant in the castle, that is. "Father, what do you mean?"

The King smiled knowingly, quickly ringing a bell in Kazuto's head. He sat up straighter and slowly began to wake a little. Whenever he saw his father wear that smile, anyone could immediately know that he just found out the most valuable information in the world. And to Kazuto, that never ended well for him. Never.

"Well, you see, Kazuto, I'm afraid we'll have to postpone your normal political lesson for a later date. For you see...I have something more important to discuss with you. Something you might find interesting this time." said the King with that smile still stuck on his face. But, Kazuto could plainly see that his father was not happy. He forced a look of curiosity and folded his hand underneath his desk.

"Interesting, Father?" he asked. The King nodded. He placed a single hand on top of Kazuto's desk and asked him a simple question. Well, as simple as he could at the moment.

"Yes, now...Where were you last night?" came his father's awfully blunt question. Kazuto completely lost his composure, stumped on how blunt his father can be and struggled to come up with a good, plausible, excusable excuse.

"I-ah, I was just-!" he began, but his father cut him off with a look.

"Don't think I haven't known, Kazuto!" the King snapped. Kazuto stared at him in surprise, not fully understanding the meaning in his father's words. The King took a step back and turned on his heel as he began to pace back and forth. "I had known for two years and I done nothing to stop you, but this has gone to far! You were almost murdered twice in one day! _Twice_ , Kazuto! You should've been smarter to at least stay inside for a couple days, but you just had to go didn't you?"

Kazuto gaped. His father knew? He knew that he was the Black Swordsman? Kirito?! How?! How? Just...how?!

"Father, you knew...? This whole time, you knew what I've done and you never interfered? " he asked his father. The King stopped in his pacing and ran both of his hands through his hair.

"Yes, I knew, and I let you. I let you become Kirito, because there was no other way. Do you want to know why? Because Etra willed it!" The King suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth when he realized he slipped more than he should've. Kazuto was clutching his hands into fists in restrained anger. His eyes held disbelief for his father.

"Etra? Because a Goddess willed it? Why must it always be with the Goddess and such? If you allowed me go and sneak out on my own, then why didn't you let me out before? Why didn't you train me to wield a sword? Why did you keep me hidden?!" Kazuto asked as he stood up and gave his father a daring look, begging his father to tell him. To give the answers he had so desperately wanted. None of this made sense anymore to him.

"Kazuto,-!" the King cut himself off with a frustrated sigh. "Now is not the time, but from now on, you are forbidden to leave this castle! You are not allowed in the gardens, the stables, or even the courtyards! You **must** remain within these walls or you will never be able to leave your very own room for the rest of my reign!"

"But Father-!" Kazuto called out as he reached for his father.

**Smack!**

The Prince stumbled back in shock and held his now stinging and probably bruised hand to his chest. Tears stung at the back of his eyes as he stared at his father, slowly shaking his head in refusal. The King had slapped his hand away and did nothing but stare at Kazuto with a hard, stern look.

"No...no, no, nonono! You can't do that! You can't lock me in here forever, Father! You can't-!" Kazuto tried again in vain to convince his father, but the King ignored his plea. He ignored his son. As much as it pained him to do so, he had to. For the will of the Goddess Etra, and the promise to his wife. If there was another way, he would've done it, but there was none. There was no other way, but to hurt his only son.

"You are the Prince of Aincrad, Kazuto. Last night will be the last time Kirito will ever be seen. Do I make myself clear, Kazuto?" the King asked harshly. The Prince shook his head vehemently and glared at his father.

"Pretty Goddess-damn clear." Kazuto cursed. Without another word, he turned on his heel and left. He didn't bother to weave his way through the arrangement of six long tables in his way. Instead, leapt into the air and did a front flip, pushing off with both hands on the first table and landing gracefully on the third as he skipped past the second. He jumped off the third table and sprinted off the fifth. Once he reached the end, he turned to look at his father one last time before doing a back flip.

The King only watched in hidden amazement as his son landed gracefully on his feet and dash out of the library with barely any sounds from his leather boots. He frowned and shook his head, finally understanding exactly why he was called the Black Swordsman. His son definitely didn't just earn his name, he wore it well.

 _"The will of the Goddess must be done, Kazuto. Even if I have to crush you, it must be done...to save you from the wretched future I had seen that day."_ The King whispered under his breath. He turned to look at Kazuto's abandoned desk as an image of a beautiful Faerie woman with long rose-colored hair sat there holding a small bundle of white cloth. In it was a baby, a boy. A gentle smile graced her features as she looked up to see the King. Her midnight blue eyes shined with life and happiness as she raise gently rocked the boy in her loving arms.

The King smiled sadly at the image and looked at the baby boy. His eyes matched his mother's but his black hair came from his father. He was so tiny, but the King could see that he would grow to be a fine Prince.

._._._._._.

_The sky above had patches of fluffy clouds. A gentle breeze swept through making Kazuto blink awake. He stared up in slight surprise. Slowly and unsurely, he sat up and took a good look around him. He was sitting in the middle of an open green field with tiny patches of bluebell flowers dotted here and there._

_Kazuto lifted up a hand to block the blinding sunlight from his eyes. As he sat there, he noticed something odd. All he could hear was the sounds of the rustling grass and his own even breathing. There were no other sounds of life around him. He looked out as far as he could, but only saw an endless field of nothing. Well, that was until-_

**_Tick, Tock, Tick,_ _Tock-_**

_The Prince shot up to his feet and spun around, instinctively reaching for his swords on his back. His hands met nothing but air as he froze at the magnificent sight before him. A giant clock tower loomed before him. The hour hand was directly pointing at XII (roman numeral for twelve). The minute hand was slowly dragging itself through the last few feet to the peak. And lastly, the second hand ticked loudly as it approached IX (Roman numeral for nine). He could see rows of stained glass windows covering its side. Kazuto focused on one of them and gaped._

_The fragments were all shaped into one familiar marking on his back, each shape its respectful color. Oddly, Kazuto couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear as both the second and minute hand edged closer. Everytime he heard a tick, he subconsciously took a step back. A strong gust of wind suddenly pushed his back forward. Strands of grass and petals of flowers smacked by him. He struggled to find a way to fight back._

_But as the clock struck twelve, he couldn't keep his footing and was thrown into the air. He gasped as the wind carried him toward the clock tower. He turned and saw two enormous double doors snap open. The chimes rang loudly and his head spun as he was thrown like a rag doll into the tower._

**_Ding...! Dong...! Ding...! Dong...!_ **

_He rolled onto the smoothly tiled floor with a harsh thud, his side taking most of the impact. The wind ceased and the doors slammed shut with a loud, ringing echo. Kazuto laid there, completely dazed at the sudden event. He could hear the door distinctly locking itself from the outside and see the large turning gears of the clock tower._

_Something tugged at his consciousness, telling him that this wasn't right. Whatever was happening with him, shouldn't be happening. Everything around him was wrong. His eyes widened in horror as saw someone falling toward him._

_As the person descended closer, he was able to see her long rose colored hair whipping around her. Kazuto gasped when she turned around to face him, staring directly at him. Her eyes were to same shade of his own midnight blue eyes, but in them was not horror. She held no fear, only sadness and knowing. Her white dress fluttered harshly at her ankles, and the sea-green ribbons danced twistedly. She slowly spread her pure white, translucent wings along_ _with her pale, slender arms._

_Time slowed drastically as Kazuto pushed himself off the ground and stretched his arms upward to catch the faerie. But as soon as she reached his fingertips, he shoved forward. He face planted the floor with small thud, accompanied with a loud sickening smack._

_He gasped in shock. His body was frozen in place and he couldn't bring himself to move. Two seconds of empty, dead ticks from the clock, an echoing slicing sound shook Kazuto at his very core. He recognized that sound in an instant._

_Kazuto slowly pushed himself up to his knees and turned his head to look over his shoulder. His eyes widened in utter horror and gasped harshly. All the blood drained from his face in a split second. His body began to shake uncontrollably as he broke into cold sweat. The stench of blood was growing thick in the air, choking_ _him, suffocating him._

_The faerie woman was sprawled onto the floor face down. Her head was turned to the side and blood dripped steadily down the edge of her lip. Midnight blue eyes dulled with death and stared into nothingness. Her arms and legs were all bent in a disfiguring way. Her dress greedily soaked in the red, thick liquid that poured out of her._

_Kazuto's breath hitched when his eyes caught the glint of light of a beautiful sword made of gold and jade impaled into the faerie's back, right in between her wings. He turned away from the scene as he clamped his deathly paled hands over his trembling lips as he desperately held back a terrified scream. Above him, he heard a voice that sounded eerily familiar, crying out with all the anguish and despair within them. It echoed through the never ending ticking of the clock._

**_"TITANIAAA!"_ **

_The world suddenly seemed to darken and fade as Kazuto's eyes began to drop. An overwhelming sense of sadness, horror, fear, and pain washed over him, forcing him under stress. He could feel his heart strain to beat, and his throat struggle to breathe. His stomach churned and twisted as he clutched his chest._

_He could no longer think, or move as a throbbing pain hammered his head. All he could do was close his eyes and beg for it all to end._

_And it did._

_He finally woke up._

._._._._._.

Kazuto snapped his eyes open and shot up from his bed in shock. Sweat covered every inch of his body and his shirt clung to him stubbornly. His head whipped back and forth as he hugged himself in attempt to calm down. But there was nothing to worry about. His room was partially dark and the curtains in his room swayed gently in the wind.

He swallowed hesitantly and tried to even out his breathing. It took him a while, but soon he could no longer feel his heart straining to beat, and his lungs could take in a decent amount of air without hurting. Slowly, Kazuto fell back onto his soft bed and sighed in relief.

"It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare." He constantly kept repeating those words over and over.

The nightmare that had plagued him many nights before, had returned again. He couldn't remember what actually happened in them, but the after effects always stayed with him. Groaning in frustration, he tried to remember what in the world just happened before his horrid nightmare...or rather daymare since the sun was still up. He vaguely remembered running away from the library, running away from his father and slammed the door to his room shut. Somehow, during that time, he somehow managed to fall asleep.

'Must be the stress...' Kazuto thought to himself with a frown. He fliched when he suddenly remembered his father's words.

_"Because Etra willed it!"_

He reached up to the ceiling with a tired hand and a sad look. Absolutely nothing made sense to him anymore. At this rate, he might as well give up. With a heavily sigh and a strained look, he imagined the heavens above as a single question formed in his head.

"If Etra, the Goddess of Life, Giver of Futures, and The Never-Ending Grace, willed it, then why does she make me watch the death of a faerie over and over and over again?"


	7. Behind The King's Back and His Son's Choice

*The next day an hour before noon*

"That was harsh." came Midori's blunt voice. Kazune had the urge to bang his head on his desk. He nearly did, but that wouldn't be very..."King-like" now, would it? Without missing a beat, he answered while he scratched his feather pen across the brown parchment before him.

"I had to." he said, leaving no room for explanation. Midori narrowed her eyes as she walked right up to his desk and placed her hands at her hip in an imposing way.

"He's your son." she said with a slight glare. Kazune kept scribbling words in his perfect, graceful handwriting.

"I know."

Midori rolled her eyes and swiftly took the pen out of his hand. "That didn't mean you had to be so cold."

With a frown, he looked up from the parchment before him and held his hand out, silently asking for his pen back. "He left me no choice."

The Queen ignored his hand and huffed in frustration. "But you didn't have to isolate him further!"

Kazune kept a straight face as he withdrew his hand and reached into the drawer next to him, pulling out another feather pen. He dipped it in the little bottle of ink next to him and resumed writing. "He was nearly killed."

Midori scowled in annoyance and snatched the pen out of his hand yet again, forcing the King to stop again. "He doesn't need to be cut off from everyone!"

Rolling his eyes, Kazune reached into his drawer once more, and repeated the process. "He needs to stop for a minute and think. He has already broken several of my rules."

He had barely written eight words, before his wife plucked it out of his hand. Again. "Maybe  _you_  need to stop for a minute and think about what you've just done! You hurt your son!  _My_  son! Can you imagine the pain he's going through right now? Can you even dare to take the pain of being locked behind these walls for sixteen years? Kazune,  _please_. Kazuto doesn't deserve this."

Kazune sighed, once more reaching into his drawer and repeated his earlier action. Again. He didn't look up as he continued to write. "We can keep doing this, you know. I still have sixteen more feathery pens to go."

Midori tossed the pens out of her hand and slammed her palms on the desk with a burning glare. "Goddess-damn it, Kazune! Why are you so passive over this!?"

Finally, Kazune stopped writing and looked up at her boredly. "Don't you have a lesson with your daughter, Midori?"

"Wha-!" Midori stared at him in utter disbelief. He did not just- "Suguha is your daughter too!"

"She's yours and Kazuto is mine. Suguha does not belong to me." came his blunt voice. The two locked gazes and stayed like that for a long while, before Midori sighed in frustration yet again.

"I may not be your wife, Kazune, but he is my son, and she is your daughter. Were those not your words sixteen years ago?" she asked as she glared at him.

The king's eyebrow twitched as he scowled. True, he did say those words that many years ago, but he didn't actually mean it at the time... He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "...It seems that my own words are starting to backfire on me."

He looked at the parchment before him and skimmed over the words. He glanced at his wife and back at the parchment. He maybe he should tell his wife about the parchment.

"Midori, forgive me for being cruel. I was focused on getting this done. You're right. Suguha is my daughter as much as Kirito is my son. And same to you. I'll try to patch things up with me and him. But first, I think now is a perfectly good time to tell you something important." Kazune said. He looked unsure, starting to make Midori worry.

"And that is...?" she prompted him. Kazune sighed again and gave her a strained smile.

"My Goddess-damn Council had made it official. Behind my back." he said. His wife tilted her head, unfazed by her husband's dark, threatening tone underlining his normal, warm voice.

"I...don't get it. Made what official?" she asked. Kazune's smile grew forced.

"On Kazuto's birthday, the Seventh Day of Ash Tree, this castle will hold a Masquerade Ball open to not only to the nobles, but to the common classes and outside countries such as Alfhiem and Gale. Oberon had agreed to it also." he stated. Midori's jaw dropped.

"You don't mean-" she was cut off by Kazune's grim smile.

"Yes. Whoever wants our son dead, is in my Goddess-damn Council." he confirmed.

._._._._._.

A series of fast knocks echoed through Heathcliff's office, making him raise an eyebrow. He was in the middle of writing a letter to the King about the Prince's bodyguard, but apparently, it just had to wait. He sighed and placed his pen down.

"Enough! Come in! There's no need to knock more than nine times!" he called out. He heard a mumbled apology as his Sub-Leader, Asuna, waltzed in. She seemed a little flustered, but other than that, she was rather bothered. Heathcliff didn't hesitate to question her.

"Asuna, what's wrong? You look as if something is worrying you." he stated. Asuna walked right up to his desk and placed her hands on top with a serious stare.

"The Prince is still a child, right?" she demanded. Heathcliff was quickly taken back. Normally, she wouldn't be so direct. She would have a bit of small talk before getting to the point. Maybe it wasn't her day today...?

"Well...he is turning sixteen in Ash Tree, so yes, he still is. Why...?" he asked cautiously. He saw a fire burn passionately behind Asuna's honey-brown eyes. He unconsciously held his hands up in defense and scooted back a bit.

"Then I'll take the job!" Asuna exclaimed. "There's something going on and I have a feeling that I must be there to see it!"

Heathcliff blinked and smiled as he placed his hands back down. He was slightly surprised at her words, but he expected them. He knew something was changing and felt that he may never get the chance to see it. But, regretfully, he knew his Sub-Leader would. Just...not that soon.

"Then you have it." he said. Asuna tilted her head with her eyes wide.

"Wait...just like that? And nothing else...?" she asked, surprised at how easily she became a candidate. She stepped back and gave him a confused look.

"Well, you were originally put on the list. Just hope that the Prince actually chooses you." Heathcliff answered. He picked up the feather pen and pulled out a parchment. He glanced at her as he began to write. "Take this letter to the castle and tell them that you are one of the three. When you do, give this letter to His Highness and tell him that it's from me."

"Do I go now?" Asuna asked as Heathcliff swiftly finished up and rolled it, trying it with a piece of rough string. She took the letter and attached it to her belt.

"Yes, you should. I would also suggest riding in with a horse. I think River will do nicely. She's yours, isn't she?" Heathcliff asked. Asuna nodded.

"She was a gift from my mother..." she trailed off as her leader nodded his approval. He gave her a look that told her to hurry. She quickly bowed her head. "Then I shall be on my way!"

She rose and turned away, but was stopped by Heathcliff's words.

"Asuna," he began with his voice grave, "The world we know it may change in a matter of days. If you do get chosen, whatever happens, never leave the Prince's side. Never."

Asuna didn't fully understand, but she nodded curtly, fully knowing that it was no request, but an order that had to be followed. She smiled and left, yelling over her shoulder, "Then pray to Etra that she'll allow it!"

Heathcliff sighed and looked out his large window. Already, he could see the sun beginning to peek into his office as it reached noon. The people of Aincrad were going about of their everyday lives, running down streets, flagging down customers, or simply picking things up for their homes. He frowned when he remembered the upcoming week-long festival.

"Oh, Goddess Etra, I ask that you spare our Royal family. I cannot imagine how the people will take it if their beloved Prince is dead." he prayed.

._._._._._.

Yume chirped from the window as Kazuto sat on his bed, staring at the white overcoat he was given by Yulier earlier this morning. The cloth was as smooth as silk and his country's crest was embroidered in gold. Its sleeves were folded to match his arm length not to long ago. It was different from his normal dark blue cloak, but just for today, he had to wear it. It wasn't even cold either. The Aincrad Crest was screaming in his face, demanding attention. He sighed.

"Yume, what am I going to do?" Kazuto asked the small bluejay. "Ash Tree is just next month and I can't tell Agil anything. He'll worry if I don't turn up in the next six days! I have to do something."

He looked at the bird and held out a hand. Yume hopped onto his hand and, strangely, gave him a sad look. If Kazuto noticed, he didn't acknowledge it as he frowned and brought the bird to his lap. "I have to think of something..."

The Prince wearily looked up as Ryoutarou entered his room with a bright smile. "Good Afternoon, My Prince! Are you ready for your new body-guard?"

Kazuto forced a smile as Yume fluttered out of his hands. "Must it be today?"

The castle guard nodded as he placed a hand on his hip. "Well, it would be rude to turn our guests away, Your Highness."

Sighing, Kazuto reluctantly nodded. "That's...true. I just hope they're worth the time. Father is busy to day with his council to attend, isn't he?"

"Unfortunately. Although, your father sends his apologies and wishes you luck, Your Highness." Ryoutarou said as he waited patiently for Kazuto. The Prince sighed as he stood up and gracefully slid into his over coat on, clasping the silver latches together with a loud click. The coat covered his whole attire with its sleeves still slightly long, and brushed the ground with a good five inches.

"Oh, Goddess, that's long..." he muttered under his breath and reached for Yume, calling out to her in a gentle voice. "Come here, girl. I think you'll have a better time outside this room."

Yume nestled herself in Kazuto's waiting hand. If Ryoutarou was bothered by Kazuto talking to bird that actually listened, he didn't show it and politely held the door open for him. Kazuto wordlessly nodded to Ryoutarou his thanks and left his room, heading down the stairs to the throne room.

"Ryoutarou...do you know any of the candidates?" Kazuto asked hesitantly as he reached the bottom step. Before him was a large wooden door carved from an Ash Tree. Not surprisingly, there was a patch of leaves carved onto its surface. Everytime Kazuto passed through that door, he ran his fingertips over the carving, feeling reassured that nothing out of the ordinary happened yet.....Yet.

"Well," began Ryoutarou as he followed his Prince down the grand halls of the castle. "I recall seeing Godfree. He is a proud man and is never condescending. He offers good advice, but he would rather stay silent and watch how things play out."

They turned at a corner and began to climb two flights of steps. Kazuto glanced over his shoulder. "So, he is a man of good advice? He sounds like a person more suited as an Advisor."

Ryoutarou nodded. "True, Your Highness, but he specializes in heavy attacks."

Kazuto hummed in understanding. "Hmmnn, so he's an Axe Wielder then?"

He heard a faltered step from the castle guard as he kept walking up the steps with practiced ease. Yume fluttered out of his hand as he moved to throw up his hood. It fell right above his eyes, but he could tell that it shadowed the upper half of his face.

"Y-yes, Your Highness! How did you know? I-if you don't mind me asking, that is!" Ryoutarou added. Once Kazuto reached the top, he turned and grinned at him.

"A Prince like me would have read about these things from a book or two, Ryoutarou." Kazuto said. Well, it was a half lie, since he actually learned it from a book in the Royal Library and his ever-so-helpful foster "Father" who ran a bar. Ryoutarou seemed to accept the half-truth with an unsure nod.

"As Your Highness says..."

Kazuto chuckled lightly and entered a small balcony with a steel poles went vertically from the railing to the small edges of the ceiling.

White, see-through curtains, covered the poles, overlooking the throne room below him. A spiral staircase leading down to the King's chair side was to his right. In the center of the room was a cushioned chair with armrests. Kazuto took a seat. Ryoutarou bowed.

"Your Highness, I will go and bring in the candidates." he said. Kazuto moved his head slightly up and raised a hand to stop him.

"Wait! Tell me about the others. You said that there are three, yet you have only told me two." Kazuto said as Yume perched on his left arm since he didn't move it. Ryoutarou seemed flustered, but he obliged anyway.

"Well, of course, Your Highness. Unfortunately, I have no clue as to whom the third candidate is, I know that the second is a swordsman named Kuradeel. He has a strong sense of duty. Well, according to the people." Ryoutarou explained, politely. Kazuto held a hand to his lips and he processed the information in his mind. Those two sounded good, but he felt a little uneasy about those two. Especially Kuradeel. He sighed. He just hoped that the third would be better than them.

"Alright, when I have chosen who I want, I will send down this bluejay. Whoever she perches upon, they will be my guard. Once it is revealed, I would like to speak with them alone." Kazuto said as he steeled himself. Ryoutarou abruptly rose his head and gazed at his Prince in surprise.

"But, Your Highness-"

Kazuto was quick to silence him.

"Well, if they become my guard, they must at least know who their Prince is before they begin their duty, correct?"

Ryoutarou reluctantly bowed his head in respect. "Of course, Your Highness."

The Prince nodded once in approval. "Good. Now, let's not waste anymore time. Bring them in."

When he watched Ryoutarou leave, little did he realize that steeling his nerves will do little to help him. Or maybe just a little.

._._._._._.

"Hm? It seems like 'The Flash' took up the offer, too, I see." Godfree said as Asuna dismissed her escort with a short "thank you" in front of the throne room. Kuradeel nodded in acknowledgement as she stopped next to them. Their Sub-Leader gave them a smile.

"You two are awfully early." she said as she placed a hand near her rapier. Kuradeel had an unnatural smile show on his face.

"Unlike the two of you, I was willing to take the job a day later when I realized how much of a good opportunity this is...in so many ways." Kuradeel said. Asuna raised an eyebrow at his odd response, but allowed it to pass. Out of the two years she had known him, she could only believe his actions and ways to very...odd. There was no other way for her to put it, since she couldn't figure him out.

"Well, if anything, I thought it would be nice to greet our Prince a Happy Early Birthday. But I would be delighted to serve and protect our Beloved Prince for any harm." Godfree said with a happy tilt of his head. Asuna was amused with his answer. She had known Godfree since she was twelve, and had often enjoyed his company and his surprisingly useful advice.

"Haha, of course. Only you would think that far ahead." Asuna said. Before any of them were able to say anymore, the doors to the throne room had opened and a guard wearing grey armor bowed his head slightly.

"His Highness is ready to see you." the guard told them. The three shared a look and Asuna spoke up.

"We will follow you in." she said politely. The guard nodded and lead them into a wide ridiculously large circular room with tall white pillars holding up the ceiling. Huge velvet banners with the crest of Aincrad at the tips hung from midway balconies. Asuna stared at the throne room in silent amazement as she walked down the long, wide red velvet carpet. Before her, up above, was a separate balcony shielded with a white curtain. To her left, was a spiral staircase from the balcony to the floor.

But what baffled her the most was a man dressed in red armor for the Far East, standing in front of the King's chair. He had a smile on his face as he dismissed the guard. She watched the man did a quick bow and scurried off to some unknown place. The man dressed in red cleared his throat.

"Welcome, Chosen Members of the Knight of the Blood Oath." the man greeted. "I am Ryoutarou, the Captain of the Castle Guards. Today, our Prince is going to chose one of the three of you to be his Guard. Of course, the Prince is here and I have been given the task of interviewing you three. Please, state your names and town you were born and raised loud and clear."

Kuradeel stepped up. "I am Kuradeel, born and raised in Granzam."

"I am Godfree, born in Panareze and raised in Mishe." Godfree said with his normally loud and booming voice. Asuna straightened her back and spoke.

"I am Asuna. Born and raised in Selmburg." she declared in her clearest voice. Ryoutarou nodded in approval and placed his hands behind his back.

"Good. These questions I'm about to ask you, must be answered truthfully. Failing to do so will result in imprisonment or banishment. Understood?" he asked. Asuna blinked at the punishment, but nodded in agreement anyway. After all, she has no intention of lying.

"Asuna," Ryoutarou began as he gazed into her eyes. "What do you specialize in?"

She folded her hands before her and answered with a serious look. "I am skilled with a sword, sir. Or, so I've been told by Heathcliff. I find thin, light weight swords easier to handle than most."

The Captain nodded and moved on two Kuradeel, asking the same question. Since the attention was no longer focused on her, she looked up at the white curtains and stared at it. Faintly, just faintly, she could see a hooded shadow behind those curtains, staring directly at her. At that moment, she felt that Prince had made his choice.

._._._._._.

Kazuto gasped as he vaguely recognized one of the three that just walked in. He slowly stood up and held a pole in his left hand as he gazed down at the only woman among them. He listened carefully as Ryoutarou asked them to state their names. He quickly picked out their names and quickly assessed their appearance.

The first was a man in his early thirties with long, pony-tailed black could make out some of the obvious wrinkles in the man's face. The man, Kuradeel, introduced himself well, but Kazuto felt something off with the man. Even though Kuradeel was wearing the Knights of the Blood Oath's uniforms (which consisted of a metal chestplate, metal shoulderplates, bracers, and brown leather gauntlets), there was an odd tone in his voice that twisted his reputation as being one of them. Kazuto quickly deemed him as someone to completely avoid.

The next was another man named Godfree with thick, shaggy orange-brown curls. He, too, wore the same uniform as Kuradeel. Kazuto eyed the huge man's axe warily, remembering the advice Agil had given him not too long ago. Axe wielders have a tendency of swinging powerful strikes. Even when blocked, he could easily break a bone or two if he takes the full impact. When Kazuto thought about it, Godfree was a good choice, but when it came down to it, would he actually be able to deal with a guy that tall? Well, Kazuto was only five-foot-three...

Lastly, the girl he suspected stepped up, and Kazuto's attention was caught in that instant. She answered with a clear voice, and the Prince blinked. Asuna. She was that girl he had met that night. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at her. She wore a uniform similar to the other men, but was more suited for a woman. Her chestnut hair swayed with her as she moved, and her eyes were sharp and calculating. She stood tall and proud, making Kazuto wonder if she really was the one he met. But then again, she was willing to kill an unarmed man that night, just for attacking a "child"...which was him...

After Asuna answered Ryoutarou's question on what she specialized in, she seemed to perk up a bit and stared directly at him. Kazuto stared back, not knowing she wasn't really aiming to. Somewhere in the back of his head, he heard the same small voice whisper to him two nights ago.

 _"The Daughter of My Closest Knight. Chose her, for this is her duty. Her duty to serve us."_ the small, warm voice said. A small frown pulled at his lips as he turned to Yume perched on his shoulder. Something about this seemed odd, but he felt compelled to follow the voice.

"Yume, I have made my choice." he told her gently. The bird made a soft tweet as she took off and fluttered out the side and down to the Captain. Kazuto turned his attention back at Asuna.

"I don't know what is going on, but Asuna, I Goddess-damn hope you're not involved with this whole Etra's Will thing..." he muttered to himself.

._._._._._.

"Alright, next que-wha?!"

Ryoutarou was about to say his next question, but was rudely interrupted when Yume suddenly zipped across his face and landed on Asuna's shoulder with ease. The Captain was flustered as he tried to get his bearings when he saw Yume land on the Sub-Leader's shoulder. Asuna was clearly surprised at the bird on her shoulder and had several questions racing into her head.

What was the bird doing here? How did it get in here? Why is it on her shoulder? Was it even a normal bird?!...were just some of the questions in her mind. She glance over to her other two members, but all she received was a shrug from Kuradeel and a curious stare from Godfree.

"What is this bird-" Asuna began, but was quickly cut off from Ryoutarou as he threw his hands up in the most informal way.

"O-Kay! Looks like my job here is done and it's time to leave!" he practically exclaimed. Kuradeel's eyebrows shot up.

"Wait, what? Is this a joke? I thought I was here to be picked as our Prince's guard!" he said, slightly outraged that he was suddenly being thrown off like that. If he didn't become Prince Kazuto's guard, then his job to one of the council members just became a million times difficult! No, he needed to become his guard, no matter what!

Ryoutarou shook his head.

"Sorry, folks, but the Prince has spoken (through a bird) and he has chosen Asuna to be his guard." he said with a smile. Godfree blinked.

"Wait...our prince can speak to birds? But I had read that only the Faeries closest to the Goddess can communicate with the creatures of our lands." Godfree stated, surprised to learn a new fact. Asuna tilted her head slightly and quickly took in what he said.

It was true. On a normal basis, humans and certain Faeries couldn't speak to the animals, but for this bird to fly up to her shoulder told her a huge hint. Her Prince was probably no normal child. Maybe he was similar to the Black Swordsman she meet not too long ago. When she first met him that day, something seemed different about him. Like he emitted an aura of a fierceness, yet gentleness; as if he was two different people living in one body, or a split personality.

"Well, come on! It's time to give you two the jobs our King set aside for you!" Asuna shook her head as Ryoutarou ushered the other two men to leave the throne room. She was about to follow but she was quickly stopped by the look that Ryoutarou gave her. Even though his voice was cheery, his face was dead serious as he looked at her. It clearly told her, "Stay. The Prince will see you shortly."

Asuna wordlessly nodded and watched as Ryoutarou slammed the doors shut behind him. She stood there in confusion as Yume took off from her shoulder and disappeared back into the curtained balcony. She took a quick sweep around her and noted that there was absolutely no one else in the room other than the figure in the balcony.

_Step...Step...Step..._

She froze as she heard the soft, yet loud footfalls of her Prince echoed throughout the empty throne room. She slowly turned and saw a small figure dress in a white overcoat with his hood up. His face was obscured by the shadow of his hood, but Asuna could see the bottom half of his face and a few locks of black hair. His thin lips were pulled in a tiny frown as he reached the floor.

Asuna was almost jealous of how gracefully he moved across the lush carpet. She could see no flaw in his step and quickly noticed how short he was. The second thing she noticed was that something was different about him. He held no nervousness for a person who grew up within the walls of the Royal Castle and it made her wonder if he truly was the Prince of her country. Yume glided next to him as he came closer. His expression didn't change as he came to a stop three feet in front of Asuna.

The Sub-Leader quickly fell to one knee and bowed her head with her fingertips touching the floor. "My Prince! I am very thankful to be your personal guard. I will forever serve you and you alone."

She expected her Prince to give her a firm answer, but instead, she heard a heavy sigh. Asuna was shocked. His sigh sounded eerily similar to the Black Swordsman's tone of voice. What shocked her even more were his next words.

"Rise, Asuna. There is no need to bow to me when no one is around." he said gently. Asuna hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly got up. She gazed at the child before her and watched in surprise as he lifted his hands and lightly gripped the sides of his hood. She gasped when his hood finally fell away, revealing a clearly recognizable, fifteen-year-old boy with silk black hair, pale complexion, and midnight blue eyes. The boy gave her a sad smile.

"Kirito-bu-wha-? You're-!" she began, but became lost for words as everything suddenly pieced together. The boy she met that night was standing before her wearing white; a huge contrast to the Black Swordsman's normally dark attire. Strangely, there was something odd about him. He was trying to hide it, but Asuna could see he was struggling to breathe. Kazuto gave her a hollow laugh void of life as he bowed his head slightly.

"Hahaaa, yeah, I know, just..." he trailed off as he forced a very convincing smile. He held out his pale and seemingly frail hand and spoke with a soft, forced voice. "You know what, let's try this again. I'm Kazuto, Prince of Aincrad."

 


	8. The Bound

***Two days before Asuna was appointed***

It was a peaceful day in the Kingdom of Gale. The skies were clear and the wind was perfectly easy-going today. All in all, it was just another normal day in the kingdom. Well, would've been normal if the Prince never received a letter from his father while on his little hunting escapade in the northern region. They weren't even able to hunt down a small little rabbit!

"Wait a whole Goddess-damn minute... Are you telling me that I, the Prince of Gale, and my sister, Sinon, are invited to the masquerade ball in time for their annual birthday celebration for a Prince that's too damn scared to face his own people in the place of my own Goddess-damn Father?!" asked a sky blue-haired seventeen-year-old, his voice raising. The servant nodded wordlessly, shaking in fear of the Prince's temper. His little sister looked up from her crossbow with a slightly interested look as her brother sighed heavily. "Fine. But tell my Father that this is the last time I am ever going to some lame noble-or royal party!"

Sinon frowned and shook her head, silently praying to Etra for safety on their way to Aincrad, because she knew she'd be damned if she didn't.

The Prince of Gale haphazardly tossed the letter back to the poor servant, who scrambled to catch it, and dismissed him with a single flick of his wrist. The servant bowed his head low and hurried off to the horse he rode upon. Sinon quietly watched the servant ride off from her makeshift seat (which was a dark blue cloak that the prince wore before they left the castle). Her brother took a seat next to her and scowled.

"I swear, Father would do anything to get rid of us. I mean, aren't we already out of his way? This is why we go monster hunting every Goddess-damn afternoon." the Prince grumbled. Sinon shook her head, her light-blue hair swaying with her as she rested a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"You know, Yu-" she began but the glare from her brother made her quickly change her next choice of words. "I mean, Scary, I have a feeling that maybe this will be a great opportunity to make some friends that are...alive."

"I don't befriend the dead!" the Prince, Scary, defended himself with his arms crossing across his chest. " _They_  start talking to me."

The Princess sighed and shook her head as she stood up, clutching her precious crossbow, Hecate. She didn't have to name it, but since it was the only thing she had since their mother died, she did anyway. It was the only thing that didn't break on her through her brother's aggressive training.

"I suppose. But try to give this Prince a chance. I think you two might actually get along." she stated rather bluntly. She checked to see if Hecate was loaded as Scary sighed. Sinon glanced at her brother and rolled her teal eyes.

"Fine. I'll give it a try." he reluctantly admitted as he got up and flapped his cloak, getting rid of any dead leaves and dirt. He swung it over his shoulders and clasped it back on with his usual scowl on his face. "But if that Prince turns out to be some kind of spoiled brat, I am so outta there."

Scary walked up to his grey horse, Stardust, and mounted him with ease. He led his horse by his sister and held out a hand. Sinon took his hand and he lifted her with little to no difficulty behind him. She secured her hands around his waist and held on tightly as Scary snapped the reins, ushering Stardust toward the castle.

The horse neighed and reared back before dashing forward. Sinon could faintly hear her brother muttering under his breath as Stardust's galloping filled the forest air around them. "Goddess-damn Father. Making us do his political stuff. I bet he's trying to get us both killed somehow..."

She sighed as she clung to her brother, trying to give him some sort of comfort. Scary never liked their father, but he had a good reason. Ever since the Queen of Gale died, the King changed from a loving father and King into a harsh, calculating, aging man who sat on a seat called a "throne". He no longer showed love to his people and destroyed many villages who dared to oppose him.

Scary had no choice but to take up his father's neglected duties to his people and ease the hatred that flared across the country. Of course, the people, at first, hated their Prince because he was the son of that King. But with Sinon, who gave an aura of reassurance, at his side, he was able to gain his people's trust once more.

As they galloped past the castle town gates, people seemed to stop for a moment to either wave, or shout a late afternoon greeting. Sinon responded back with a bright smile and small waves, while her brother gave quick nods and small grins. Much like the people of Aincrad, they loved their Prince and Princess, but were always delighted to see them, unlike the Aincrad people who were desperate to see their Prince.

As Scary led Stardust though the large town, he began to wonder if Aincrad was any different from his own country. If anything, he just hoped that their King was better than his own Goddess-damn father.

._._._._._.

"You leave tonight."

The Prince sighed and shifted his weight into one leg, irritation clear on his face.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that." Scary said as he glared at his father. The King was sitting on his throne with a hard stare in his dark green eyes, slightly annoyed with his son's attitude. His head was a mass of grey hair connected to one big beard that grew to his upper stomach. His face was full of wrinkles that it was hard to believe that this man was not seventy, even though he was only forty-nine. But, he was no burly man with huge muscles or anything like that. He was of an average build but was growing weaker every day with stress that hid away behind his eyes. Of course, only Scary and Sinon had actually noticed since they were the only ones who could stare directly into their father's eyes for a whole conversation.

"I have prepared a carriage for you and your sister. I expect the two of you to be on your way by tonight." came his father's booming voice. Scary crossed his arms and held his father's gaze.

"Ahhh, I see," he drawled in mock understanding, "You just want to get rid of us, don't you, father?"

The King narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm making sure you get there on time, because I know you'll get side tracked."

Scary huffed and smirked. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Sinon and I will be out of your hair before you know it."

"Child!" His father snapped. Scary only waved his hand dismissively and excused himself. He deliberately ignored his father's commands to come back, but what was the point? That King had abandoned them, disowned them the moment the Queen died, so he didn't care.

"Child, come back here!" yelled the King. The Prince closed his eyes and muttered a few words to himself as he kept walking, holding back the fury that clawed him.

"'The hardest person to awaken is the person already awake.'" he whispered under his breath. Scary reached the huge double doors and turned to face him with an utterly fake smile. He slowly bowed mockingly at his father and rose a few seconds later.

"It was wonderful speak to you again, Your Majesty, but I must be on my way. Night is nearly here." Scary said with sarcasm laced in his tone. He turned his back to his father and opened one side of the door. He missed the King hurriedly stand and reach for the Prince, but it was too late.

The door slammed shut and he was already walking down the hall. Little did he know, that was the last time he would ever speak to his father.

Ever again.

._._._._._.

Sinon looked up when her door to her room suddenly opened. Her brother marched in wearing his dark blue cloak with his normal gray tunic and ocean blue slack like pants. His hands were covered with hazel fingerless gloves and matching brown bracers on his lower arms. Sinon caught a glimpse of her brother's birthmark beneath his sleeve as he raised his left arm to subconsciously touch the quiver of arrows strapped to his back. The shimmer of a silver-blue curved line seemed to glow in the setting sunlight shining through her room.

"Scary? What's going on?" she asked as he briskly bypassed her and grabbed her cloak in her wardrobe and her back-up sword. He tossed them toward her and began packing up the little amount of books she had. Sinon caught her cloak on the crook of her arm and grabbed the sword with both hands.

"Get whatever you consider necessary and things to keep you entertained. We're leaving now." Scary said without looking up. Sinon tilted her head in surprise.

"Wait, what? We're leaving now?" she asked as she threw on her light brown cloak over her light blue knee-length dress. The cloak reached to her ankles. She strapped her steel sword at her side and slipped on her knee-high boots. Scary grabbed the closest satchel and handed it to Sinon. She took it and gave her brother a worried look.

Usually, her brother wouldn't barge into her room without permission unless he was distressed about something. But, barging in and packing her things? He was more than distressed.

"Once you're done, meet me at the bridge. The carriage is already prepared for us." Scary said as he began to leave. Sinon dropped the bag to the floor and forced him to stop with a firm hand grabbing his upper arm.

"Scary, wait! What's with the sudden-" she began, but silenced herself as her brother turned to look at her. His teal eyes were shining with hidden emotions, but she could see the dying anger fading away, and the stress that he had hidden through random outbursts began to leak. Her grip tightened on his arm as he placed a hand on hers.

"We need to leave. Don't worry, we should be back soon." he said with a forced smile as he turned to leave. Sinon allowed her brother's hand to slip away. She stood there for a moment, watching Scary leave her room. Biting the back of her lip, she shook her head and began to pack.

Half an hour later, she was settling herself in the seat across from her brother. The carriage that waited for her was pulled by two horses. She found it odd that her personal light brown horse, Aries, and Scary's Stardust were attached to the carriage, pulling at the reins.

She turned to face her brother with a small tilt of her head. "Why are our horses pulling the carriage? Those two aren't raised to do this."

Scary glanced at her and gave a shrug. "I didn't want Stardust and Aries to stay behind. Father only allowed two horses, anyway."

Sinon took a deep breath and sighed quietly. Her brother called up to the driver and told him that they were ready. The carriage began to roll noisily as Stardust and Aries pulled it. The sun above them was nearly set as they crossed the bridge into town. Several of the town people watched in wonder as they either stood by or waved their good byes to the Prince and Princess. Very few guards followed the carriage: two in the front and two behind, each with a sword tied to their side and the Galian flag held proudly in their left hands.

Scary avoided looking out of the window as he leaned back and gazed at the twilight sky. Sinon twisted her hands bitterly in her lap as her eyes caught a father hold his children close, gesturing at the carriage as it passed. The small girl at his left gasped in awe and her eyes watched in amazement. The boy at his right perked up and waved frantically at her. Sinon mustered a smile as she gingerly waved back.

Her heart twisted when the children's father held their hands. It reminded her of the old days when her mother was still alive. Her father could never stop smiling, and there was never a day without him teasing Scary about him being a little brat of trouble and for turning her into a bookworm. She longed for the day her old father would come back. With one glance at Scary, she knew he wanted the same thing. But, of course, fate was never fair.

Without the Queen, the Kingdom of Gale had fallen quite far. The army practically dispersed; the Council overlooked important decisions. The people had lost their hope and peace with each reckless and pointless choice made by the King. If Scary hadn't stepped in, then she was sure that her Kingdom would've fallen apart from the inside out. Pushing her memories aside, she held her head high and cleared her throat. The Prince looked away from the window and acknowledged her with a blink.

"Scary," she began with a soft voice that could be heard over the rattling of the carriage, "Do you think we will ever see our father again?"

"Of course, we will. It will only be a few weeks, Sinon." Scary responded with a dismissive wave. The Princess shook her head.

"No. I mean, will we ever see  _our_  father again?" she asked again with a stronger voice. A long silence stretched between them as the carriage strolled out of the castle town and into the grassy road toward the forest. Sinon was about to ask again, but Scary gave her a smile.

"'The hardest person to awaken is the person already awake.'"

There was nothing in that smile. No hidden anger, no sadness. Just...

Nothing.

._._._._._.

***The day Asuna was appointed***

Kazuto waited for his new bodyguard to take his hand, but she just stood there for a long moment, staring at his hand. He blinked as he looked back and forth between his hand and Asuna's stunned hazel eyes. He saw nothing wrong with his hand.

"Um...Asuna?" he asked cautiously as he leaned in slightly to study her closer. Her eyes were distant, but he could pick out the hints of fear and guilt. She was stiff. Kazuto frowned and reached toward her.

"Hey, are you-" he began, but Asuna was quick to back away several steps and bow again, not daring to look up at him. The Prince drew his hand back in surprise. "A-"

"Forgive me, My Prince, but I cannot allow you to touch me." she said suddenly. Kazuto stared at her in surprise as she continued. "I have killed more than I can remember with these hands. I cannot taint the hands of a Prince who has never taken the life of someone; even the life of animal. No, I cannot bear to ruin you. I ask you that you reconsider your choice of choosing me."

Kazuto kept silent as she spoke. His footsteps were barely heard as he I approached her. By the time she finished, he was less than a foot away. He took one look at his hand and knelt to the floor. Without any hesitation, he cupped her cheeks and lifted her face up. He stared directly into her eyes.

"I am surrounded by many who have taken at least a life. Even my own personal servant has killed before. You cannot taint me, for I have already been tainted." Kazuto said with a slight note of irritation in his voice.

_"Lies."_

He nearly jumped out of his skin when that same voice echoed in his head again, but he kept himself composed, even as he felt an oncoming headache. The voice kept talking to him, echoing in his head.

 _"You were never tainted in the first place. Your hands may have spilt the blood of others, but they remain clean. I will never allow anyone to destroy your untouched soul."_  It hissed. Kazuto inwardly flinched at the harsh tone. He didn't wait for Asuna to answer as he slowly drew his hands away from her face. He stood up as he tried to cover up his shock.

"Asuna, please excuse me. It's almost time for my afternoon lessons. But, in the mean time, go and find a woman named Yulier. She will explain your duty in full detail. After that, I wish to meet you in the library before dinner." Kazuto instructed with a slightly stressed voice. He was pretty sure Asuna detected it, but did he care?

...Not with a Goddess-damn voice talking to him in his head.

Asuna bowed her head and answered with a subdued tone. "Yes, Your Highness."

The Prince nodded curtly and turned on his heel. He held a hand for Yume and whispered to the bird.

"Accompany her. There's something I need to do." he told her. The bluejay chirped in reply and took off. He heard Asuna get up and leave with Yume, greeting the bird with curiosity and surprise. He smiled to himself. He just knew that Asuna and Yume will get along quite nicely.

As he climbed up the spiral staircase, several shivers ran down his back. He could faintly feel something wrapped around his arms, like a ribbon, but stronger. It was cold and harsh, as if he was chained. When he reached the top he caught a glimpse of something at the edge of his sight. Thin white-blue locks of hair swept past him. Kazuto bit back a cry as he felt a flare of pain bloom in his marking. He crossed his arms, clutched his shoulders, and knelt on the stone floor with his head bowed, trying to ignore the pain. He could hear faint sounds of a clock ticking endlessly in his head as the pain crawled from his back to his arms and chest.

_"You are bound to me."_

Before he could even question the voice's meaning, Kazuto's world slowly faded away.


	9. The Two Princes

Asuna was stressed. Four days came and passed without her prince waking. She'd been reassured several times (by Yulier and many other servants and guards) that it was normal, but Asuna couldn't believe them. After all, who'd the heck in their right mind think it's normal for their Prince to suddenly collapse?

She shook her head. Crazy, absurd idiots. Yup. That just about summed up more than half of the castle staff's sanity.

"Normal, my arse." Asuna irritatedly muttered to herself as she climbed up the stairs to her Prince's room. She didn't know whether to feel worried for him or feel frustrated no one  _else_  was really worried. Well, sure the Prince was almost sixteen, but his shortness for his age made her constantly forget he was a teenager. Not a twelve-year-old gi-er... _boy._

Once she reached the door, she noticed something was a little off. Yulier had told her several times to always close the door completely for some unknown reason, but today, that door was slightly open. Asuna bit her lip as her gaze swept her surroundings. It all seemed normal and she only saw a small servant boy coming up the stairs with a tray of fresh fruits in his arms.

"Ah! G-good morning, M-miss Asuna!" the boy stammered upon his arrival, clearly surprised to see her there. He was wearing a white button down tucked in and light brown overalls. Strangely, there was a leaf stuck in his silver hair near his ear. "How are y-you this m-morn-ning?"

Asuna gave the boy a smile to ease his nervousness. "I'm doing fine, but you don't need to be formal with me. Just call me Asuna."

"R-really...?" he asked hesitantly. He was shaking so much that the thin plate on the tray started to clatter slightly. Asuna bent her knees to his level and rested her hands on them with a small nod.

"Really." she confirmed. As if a spell suddenly broke, the boy smiled brightly and his shaking ceased. He was suddenly comfy with her. Asuna hid her shock as she patted the boy's soft hair, discreetly removing the loose leaf. Oddly, he vaguely reminded her of Kazuto's personal servant. "What's your name?"

"Morgan! And I'm twelve!" he added cheerfully. Asuna blinked.

"Oh. When I was thinking about a twelve-year-old, I wasn't actually asking for one." she muttered to herself. Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Uh...did I come at a wrong time?" he asked.

"What? Oh, no! No, no, no. You're fine!" Asuna rushed as she stood up. She returned her attention back to the door and spoke offhandedly. "I'm just here to check on His Highness."

Morgan beamed up at her. "Same here. Aunt Yulier sent me up here since I had nothing to do."

Asuna's hand froze over the handle as her head snapped in the boy's direction, her eyes wide. "Aunt?!"

The boy gave her a confused look. "Well... yeah. My aunt."

She stared at him for a good ten seconds before snapping out of her stupor. "Ah, never saw that coming."

Asuna ignored Morgan's utterly perplexed look (that clearly said, "What the heck...?"), and opened the door. A bundle of white was suddenly thrown at her with a sheet of paper neatly sticking out. She caught the huge bundle of blankets and grabbed the paper in alarm. "What in the blazes?!"

But that wasn't all. For some strange reason, the bundle of blankets moved. Morgan's baby blue eyes widened in fear as he slowly took a step back. Asuna stared at the slowly unraveling bundle in her arms with a twitching eye. She could see something black underneath all the white and her curiosity got the better of her. Asuna leaned in for a closer look. Suddenly, the bundle exploded and an abnormally large crow popped out of it with its wings stretched away.

"CAAAAAAAAW!" the crow cawed as it flapped its wings frantically.

"Kya!" Asuna yelped. Morgan screamed and dropped the tray in his hands with a loud echoing  _clank!_

Asuna literally threw her hands high above her head with horrified expression on her face. The poor crow flew into the air and smacked into the ceiling with the blankets, leaving a tiny crater above as it fell to the stone floor.

"You killed him!" Morgan exclaimed as he ran over the crow and dropped to his knees to check the bird. He quickly took note of the crow's twitching leg and beak and dazed eyes. "Oh, never mind! He's still alive...barely."

Asuna was speechless. She couldn't believe she completely lost her composure and nearly killed a bird in the process. She got scared of a crow. A Goddess-damn  _crow_. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Now wasn't the time to panic over nothing. Now was the time to worry about her Prince.

Her eyes widened.

"The Prince!" she exclaimed as she dropped the paper and dashing into the room. There, on the blanket-bare bed, was absolutely nothing but a pillow. She smacked her panic button. "Where'd he go?!"

Asuna spun on her heel and did a three-sixty degree turn, but didn't spot her Prince. She opened her mouth to ask again, but Morgan's voice replaced hers.

"'I'm bored. So let's play a game. Hide and seek with a bit of tag sounds really good. You have to find me then catch me. If you can, then good for you! If you can't, heh, well, good luck with my father.'" Morgan read off the paper with the now unconscious crow in his arms. He looked up and smiled. "Signed, a really bored Kazuto."

Asuna's jaw dropped. Great. She didn't even know an eighth of the castle layout. And, with the laughing smile that Morgan was giving her, she just knew that he was not planning on helping her anytime soon.

._._._._._.

Kazuto looked up from his book when he faintly heard one of his crow friend's familiar caw and a childish scream. A small smile graced his features as he softly closed his book and stretched. He had been sitting up in a tree for the past hour, waiting for his day to officially start. Well, to start his day with a fun game for whoever wanted to play. He breathed a laugh.

"You do remember I forbade you to leave the inner castle walls," came a fatherly voice below him.

The Prince looked down to see his father standing underneath the tree looking up. Kazuto gazed at his father's eyes. "I don't know. Maybe."

The King blinked before sighing and muttering something under his breath that sounded similar to "Good Etra, he's like his mother." Even so, a grin appeared easily on his face. "Well, then, good morning, Kazuto. What are you up to now?"

Kazuto gave a smirk, silently understanding his father's actions. "Good morning, Father! I'm just going to have a bit of fun today. I mean, it's nearly that time of the year again."

His father shook his head with a chuckle. "Let me guess, a good ole game of hide and seek?"

"With a bit of tag." the Prince added. With effort, he slipped off the tree branch and landed unsteadily. His father was quick to steady him before he fell to his knees.

"Of course. I should've known. You are still unwell. At least take another day off and rest. It won't do you any good if you force yourself." said his father.

"And what? Suffer from another nightmare and die from boredom? I'm done with resting! It doesn't even help me anyway." Kazuto snapped as he shook his head hurried past him.

The King stood there for a moment and heaved another sigh. Every day, his son seemed to become more and more like someone he loved dearly nearly two decades ago. "Even though she isn't around, he is practically everything like her and nothing like me...well, other than his hair color." He suddenly perked up. "Kazuto, wait!"

But he was too late. His son had already slipped back inside the castle and turned a corner. He breathed a slightly worried laugh.

"Aaahahahaaa...I can't believe I forgot to tell him that our guests arrived two days ago...or even the masquerade party..." he said to himself. He sighed as he shrugged while looking up. He spotted a glimpse of a blue haired teen just passing a window on the second floor. "Well... he'll find out... eventually."

._._._._._.

_It was cold. Sounds of water droplets rang clearly in the still air. The Prince of Gale stood at the edge of the gently lapping water, wondering where he was. Before him stretched a large pool of clear, slightly glowing water. But, he wasn't alone._

_There, at the center of the spring, was a small silver haired boy sitting limply, head bowed and features slack, on the surface in the middle of the spring. Oddly enough, the boy seemed off. As if he never noticed Scary's presence._

_Scary tilted his head in curiosity. How could a child sit on the surface of water? Why is there a child here?_

_...Why did the child seem so...dead?_

_A twinge of fear kicked Scary into motion. He stepped right into the spring and gasped in shock at the cold. It didn't get any warmer as he forced his way to the child._

_"Hey!" Scary called out to the boy. "Are you okay?"_

_The boy did not move, nor did he acknowledge his call. Scary was already knee deep in the water and he was shaking. Strangely, he wasn't shaking from the cold, but rather, the unpleasant aura the boy was giving him._

_After years and years of speaking to the dead, one would think that he was used to such auras. Surely, he shouldn't be bothered by a mere child. But, no._

_This child was different. He was alive, yet dead. Realization smacked Scary in an instant and widened his eyes._

_"You're a 'Wanderer'." he whispered as he slowly reached a hand toward him. Finally the boy reacted. He slowly lifted his head and stared at Scary with his dead, dull, blue eyes._

_Dead. Practically like a doll. Scary wanted to turn back, to get away from the child, but something was urging him, begging him to go to the child. He swallowed nervously, and forced himself to keep going._

_"Do you know why you're here?" he asked gently. The boy blinked slowly. A twinge of life flared for a millisecond behind those dead eyes, making Scary jump at the opportunity (metaphorically). "What's your name?"_

_The boy blinked again, slowly becoming alive before him. Scary allowed small, relieved smile. He was breaking through. If he kept at it, he could-_

_"Dearest child, forgive me."_

_Scary jerked in shock and spun on his heel as fast as the water could allow him. His eyes widened at the sight before him. A beautiful, long, white-blue haired woman gracefully walked across the still waters toward him-no. He froze as the woman fazed right through him._

_"Oh, Goddess-damn." he breathed as he turned around and watched the woman kneel next to the boy. She wore a white dress that flowed around her, giving her appearance an odd glow. Her deep blue eyes shined with suppressed sadness. Her thin arms wrapped around the child's shoulders, pulling him into an embrace._

_"I have pulled you from your eternal slumber to bring you into my father's dying world, but I desperately need you. You are the only one who can bring my favored children together." she told him gently. Scary felt a shiver run down his spine as she lowered her voice._

_"Mor'gan."_

._._._._._.

"Argh!" he cried as a searing pain burned him into reality, waking him up completely. Scary clamped his right hand over his burning birthmark in hope to ease the pain, but it only made it worse. He gasped in shock and desperately curled into a ball. Sweat lightly coated his body as he held back a scream. His mind reeled over the dream-no, memory. When was the last time he ever dreamed of a memory like that- his breath hitched as a new wave of pain ripple through his birthmark.

"Oh, Goddess, make it stop!" he whimpered softly, praying that him sister wouldn't hear him. He was sure as heck never going to hear the end of it if Sinon did. He stayed that way for a long minute and finally heaved a long, shaky sigh of relief as the pain dulled to an aching throb.

"Ugh, great. Now I have to deal with this stupid pain all day." Scary groaned. He sat up in the fluffy bed he was provided in the large guest room he was told to stay and kept a hand glued to his birthmark under his sleeve of his upper left arm. Slowly and still shaking slightly, he brought his knees to his chest, wrapping an arm around his legs.

"Not even one week and I'm already going crazy." he said as he forcibly pushed the memory aside. He could deal with it later; there was too much on his plate already. His shoulders were still heavy with the pressuring stares of the Council. Ever since he and his sister arrived, he had been dragged into meeting after meeting. On the bright side, he at least met the Kings of Aincrad and Alfheim.

King Kazune welcomed him with open arms. Scary found it ridiculous how completely opposite he was from his Goddess-damn father. The King was just so kind-hearted that Scary felt almost safe in his presence. Almost. He would've been fine if it wasn't for the King of Alfheim.

He felt a shiver run down his back at the thought of him. The look that King Oberon gave him was unnerving. Scary could barely hold his gaze with the King. There, in Oberon's eyes, was a hidden look of unadulterated hatred. The Prince of Gale has beyond disturbed. In fact, he was slowly slipping back into the boy he once was; scared and wary of everything. What did he do to get a king of another country extremely mad at him? Heck, he didn't even meet the King until now!

He sighed heavily and brought his left hand to hold his other arm when a plausible reason came to mind. Maybe, his father had something to do with this whole mess.

But, Scary was glad that Sinon didn't have to attend the meetings with him. If she did, he'd have to deal with an over protective sister shadowing his every-

Knock, knock, knock!

"Scary? Are you decent?"

Scary bit back another sigh and buried his head in his arms muttering, "Speak of the devil..."

A second later, he wearily lifted his head, cleared his throat and partially wailed. He really didn't want to deal with anything. "Goddess-damn, Sinon! Do you damn know what time it is?!"

"Yeah. It's time for you to get up." came her blunt voice. Scary groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance as he fell back into his bed.

"No." he stubbornly said, throwing his blankets over his head. "It's my day off, so go away."

Even so, Sinon barged in anyway. Scary didn't bother to stir when he heard her place something down on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Scary, really? I know something's up. I heard you." Sinon stressed. Scary felt his bed bend slightly as Sinon took a seat. He threw the blanket off his head and glared at her.

"Nothing is up." he snapped as he sat up. Sinon rolled her eyes.

"I know you had a nightmare. The look on your face says it all. Plus, your hair is damp." she panned. Scary crossed his arms.

"It wasn't a nightmare." he admitted as he made sure to look away. Why should he get Sinon involved with all this crazy things? He would always try to keep her out of it, but she was a stubborn one. He heard Sinon sigh.

"So, if it wasn't a nightmare, what was it? A fore-sight?" Scary finally looked at her with an exhausted frown.

"No. It wasn't. If anything, it was like a memory." he explained staring at her, watching her reaction. "A memory that shouldn't be mine."

._._._._._.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine?"

Scary wanted to smack his head into the closest wall, but somehow managed not to do so. He ran both of his hands through his hair and let them drop as he addressed his sister...for the umpteenth time in this morning alone.

"Goddess-damn, Sinon! I'll be fine! It's not like this place is all cold and scary like ours." he snapped. Sinon huffed as she strolled beside him.

"Heh. Scary." she deadpanned. The Prince of Gale facepalmed.

"Oh, Goddess. Sometimes I really wonder how the hell I survived sixteen years of you." he grumbled. Sinon smiled.

"Because you love me." she said. The two stopped at a corner and faced each other. Sinon gave her brother a serious look. "But, seriously, though. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Scary grimaced. "Yeah."

He turned away and began walking down a random hall.

"Scary!" Sinon called. He paused and looked over his shoulder, acknowledging her.

"I don't know what you saw, but I'm here. I'm always here." she said. Scary knew his sister tried to hide the desperation in her voice, so he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah. I know. Thanks." he said. With a small nod shared between them, they went their separate ways. Scary had absolutely no idea where he was going, but he didn't bother to stop and ask anyone.

His mind slowly wandered back to the memory he dreamed this morning. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't make any sense over it.

"Mor'gan..." he muttered. He stopped at an wide open door and peeked inside. He saw tall shelves filled with various book of all shapes and sizes. Scary looked up and down the hall to see if no one was around. Fortunately, he saw no one. Needless to say, he was quite intrigued. He never saw that many books all stuffed at once in a small room. Well, he did have a library, but it was a separate building that was ridiculously huge. He only went there when his sister disappeared (Sinon normally disappears in the library when she needed a distraction).

Taking one last look around, Scary slipped into the room. His jaw slacked as he took in the room. It wasn't very big, but it wasn't very small either. Several shelves were standing in such a messy way that It made Scary wonder if anyone comes in here. A simple desk sat in the center of the room. On top, tiny stacks of paper seemed to be randomly placed anywhere. Four books were all opened, resting on top of each other. Scary's curiosity grew as he strode over to the desk.

"What the hell...?" he muttered as he saw a page full of random scribbles. He ran a hand down the page and tried to make any sense of it. The more he looked, the more he recognized the writing. His teal eyes widened. "Wait a minute, this is ancient Aincradian and Galian mixed together! Even the Old Faerie language!"

Then his eyes froze over one ridiculously familiar drawing. An odd crest in a shape of a withered thorny flower was surrounded with elegant swirls. A cold feeling rushed through him when an image of his birthmark flashed in his head. The drawing was practically a replica. "...But how? Father and Mother was sure to keep this hidden! I-"

He cut himself off when a white blur passed him and disappeared underneath the desk. He stood there for a good two seconds, blinking in surprise. "What the-"

"I've got you now-!" cried a voice. Scary took a step back when a girl with long hazel hair skidded to a stop in front of the doorway. She had a triumphant smirk on her face as she looked directly into Scary's eyes. Scary would've laughed at her when her face suddenly blanked for a second before confusion took over.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I thought you were-someone else!" she spluttered. Scary caught the tiny hitch in her voice, but pretended to ignore it. "Did you see anyone pass by here?"

He could see the teen underneath desk shake his head silently at the corner of his eye. Staring at the girl, he shook his head. "Yeah, I saw someone run past the door. I'm not sure that's who you're looking for, though."

Scary blinked as the girl turned heel and rushed out of the room. Shrugging, he looked underneath the desk that the small teenager hid. He stared at the teen's midnight blue eyes in confusion. He took one quick look and noted that he was wearing a white overcoat and brown buckle-up boots. The teen was naturally pale and...well, small.

"Alright, who are you and what do you do in this castle?" he asked rather bluntly. The teen seemed to panic at the sudden questions as his eyes looked anywhere but him.

"Aaaahhhh...I-I-I'm Kazuuumi! A student here! Yeah! A-and, uh, my teacher is, ahhhhh, that girl who was just here!" came the response. Scary stared at him incredulously. That...was the lamest lie he ever heard. But, for the sake of the teen, he decided to play along. He just knew that this day was just going to be stranger and stranger by the hour.

"So...in other words," Scary began as he held a hand out. "You're running away from your teacher." The teen hesitantly took his hand and Scary helped him up with ease.

"Y-yeah, I got my reasons." 'Kazumi' said as he offered a smile. "Thank you, sir."

Scary huffed and rolled his eyes, not realizing he was still holding 'Kazumi's' hand. "Oh, please, don't be so formal with me. I had enough of that for the past few days."

'Kazumi' tilted his head, also not taking not of their hands. "Past few days? Wait, who are you?"

Scary scowled. "Nurgh...Well...I'm...Yu-I mean, I'm Scary. Um...Prince of Gale."

'Kazumi's' eyes widened and quickly snatched his hand back. "What?!" he exclaimed as he stumbled back until his back hit an unorganized shelf. The shelf shook dangerously, but luckily, didn't topple over. Scary took a step back, surprised at the small teen's reaction.

"Holy Etra! This is a joke, right?" 'Kazumi' asked, trying to figure out what the heck is going on. "Please tell me it is."

Scary raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "Why? I'm not lying."

He watched 'Kazumi' lightly smack himself on his forehead. "Goddess-dammit! Why?"

"If you really need to know, I'm only here with my sister for that Masquerade Party that the King of Aincrad invited my father to. But, Father didn't want to come, so he sent me." Scary explained. 'Kazumi' stared at him.

"...A masquerade party?!" 'Kazumi' practically panicked. He seemed to pause and looked at Scary, confused. "Wait. Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Scary gave a deadpanned look.

"You asked." he said.

"Well, other than that," 'Kazumi' said, "Why are you telling me? Someone who is a commoner?"

"Commoner?" Scary asked with his eyebrows high up. "You? A commoner who managed to start learning here in the Royal Castle of Aincrad? That's a lie."

'Kazumi' tried (and failed horribly) to pretend he didn't just get caught. Instead, he turned his head away and crossed his arms. "Damn."

Scary smirked and placed his hands at his hips. "So, who are you, really?"

'Kazumi' bit the back of his lip before forcing a smile that threw Scary off, wiping that smirk off his face. He thought for a second that the smile was real, but he reminded himself that he would do the same to Sinon. For a split second he saw something flash in his midnight blue eyes. He didn't see a small teen standing there. He saw a boy with strong, unwavering eyes that could defy anyone. A will stronger than his own hidden behind it.

"Wha...!" Scary gasped, completely losing his composure when he finally looked over the teen. 'Kazumi' bowed slightly and held a hand for Scary to take while smiling like an innocent child.

"Since you asked," 'Kazumi' began. "I'm the Prince of Aincrad, Kazuto. Well, you probably know me as the 'Mystery' Prince. But, I guess, I'm not so much of a mystery, anymore...Am I, Scary?"

Scary took a moment to close his eyes and gather himself. Once he was done, he opened his eyes, placed a hand on his hip, grinned like a Cheshire cat, and laughed.

"Mystery? Hah!" he laughed, holding his other hand to somewhat cover his mouth. His shook his head and took Kazuto's hand, firmly shaking it. "You still are."

Kazuto raised an eyebrow. "Eh...?"

As Scary laughed and Kazuto reluctant chuckle, they both pretended not to notice the dark aura that lingered just right out the door. They both knew that something was amiss. But, Kazuto gave Scary a knowing look, the Prince of Gale nodded slightly and kept up their act.

Oddly, they suddenly came to a silent agreement. They could keep an act up. Heck, they'll give their enemy one heck of a show.

 


	10. "Appointed"?

He couldn't sleep. He didn't know why, but Scary just couldn't doze off the way he usually did. He tried to count to five-hundred, but something nagged him constantly to the point he couldn't stay put. He just had to do something.

"...Ah, Goddess-damn it all." Scary cursed as he somehow ended up in a tower. He had walked around for a while, letting his feet take him wherever it felt. Needless to say, he was lost. He turned on his heel several times but he didn't recognize anything at all. It didn't really help when most of the torches were burned out.

"'Not like this place is cold and scary like ours' my arse. This place is just as bad as home!" Scary spat, clearly irritated by the fact that he was lost. He didn't like to admit it, but being in a foreign country in the heart of it all threw him off. He was used to the chilly atmosphere and the not very lively motivation that hung around the Royal Castle of Gale. Scary ran a hand through his hair with a scowl. "I should've at least asked for a damn map when I got here. Goddess, I feel stupid..."

"Eeeeehh? Are you wrost, sir?" came a soft voice behind him. Scary jolted in surprise as he spun on his heel, a hand quickly reaching for his hidden dagger in the back of his shirt. His eyes blinked in surprise and his hand froze in mid-action when he saw no one.

"What the-?" he began. Then, he looked down. A boy with silver hair wearing a pair of simple tan shorts and a brown night-shirt with his sleepy baby blue eyes staring up at Scary, stood up to his upper stomach, confusion on his face. At that moment, an image of a boy with similar features flashed in his head. Scary couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear when his mind pieced everything together.

"Whaaa!" he cried. Scary felt his eyes widen with utter shock and his body stumbled back, landing sorely on his arse. His head was automatically spinning with thousands of questions bombarding him. Could it be? Was he just dreaming? Or was this reality? Shouldn't this child be dead? Or was he supposed to be alive in the first place?! He suddenly heard the faint voice that spoken to the boy in that memory.

_"I have pulled you from your eternal slumber to bring you into my father's dying world, but I desperately need you..."_

Scary felt sick. Did that woman (who was more than likely to be Etra) mean that the boy was already dead? If so, then who the hell was the child standing before him?

The boy yawned and stretched a hand above his head, rubbing an eye with the other. "Haaaah~? What's wrong, sir? Is there somethin' behind me?"

He looked behind himself and saw nothing. He turned back to look at Scary with a frown, slowly waking up. "That's funny...there's nothing there. Are you scared?"

Scary blinked in confusion as he tried to calm his nerves. Maybe he had just mistook this child to be the one in his dream-or memory? Shaking his head to try and get a grip on things, he stood up and regained his composure as he dusted himself off.

"I-I'm not scared! Just-I'm was only acting!" Scary stammered, utterly failing to come up with a plausible excuse. The boy only gave him a raised eyebrow with an expression that clearly said "Oh, really?" He turned his head to the side and crossed his arms to hide the embarrassment creeping on his face. "A-anyway! What are you doing out here so late at night? Shouldn't a small boy like you be in bed?"

The boy pouted. "I was, but then I heard something strange."

Scary looked at the boy and tilted his head. "'Strange'? What did you hear?"

"I heard a loud whooshing sound and a door creaking open. I think it might be another ghost or something." The boy explained. Scary felt a shiver run down his spine at the mention of a ghost. An image of the boy flashed in his head once more, overlapping his view with the boy in front of him. He shook his head to push the picture away and focus on the boy.

"Great. Ghosts. Right." He muttered under his breath. Scary addressed to the boy once more. "Here, why don't I check it out and you can go back to bed? You could get hurt if there are ghosts."

"Heeeeeeh? You don't believe me, do you?" the boy wailed. Scary sighed as the child began to complain about adults not believing him anymore and such. He wanted to cover his ears and tell the boy to shut up, but he decided that it would be bad for his title...not that he actually cared for it. He would rather keep his reputation as a "normal" Prince than his other reputation in Gale. Groaning in annoyance, he knelt down to the boy's height and placed a hand on either shoulder.

"Look," he began firmly, staring at the boy. The boy immediately clamped his mouth shut as Scary continued. "I believe you, okay? I have dealt with them since I was smaller than you, and I don't want you to get hurt, alright?"

The boy nodded in understanding, eyes wide with surprise. "O-okay..."

Scary smiled and ruffled the boy's silver hair, making it a mess. He temporarily forgot about the memory he dreamed of nights before. "Good. Now go to bed. It's getting very late and I'm sure you have a big day head of you."

The boy nodded as he yawned again and turned around, beginning to head to his room. Scary stood up with ease and decided to stand there until the boy disappeared from his sight. But, then, the boy stopped and turned around with a tired frown on his face.

"Hey, you didn't even give me your name." he said rather bluntly. Scary blinked in slight surprise.

"Uh...right. Sorry, I'm Scary." he said without much of a thought. The boy looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Ah. That explains everything." he said with a straight face. Scary couldn't help the confusion that appeared on his face. What in the world was the boy talking about?

"I-I'm sorry?" he asked the boy, but the boy didn't clarify. Instead, he introduced himself.

"I'm Morgan. I hope I get to see you around, Creepy Scary! Good night!"

Scary anime fell, hardly believing his ears. What the hell did this boy just call me?! Without another word, Morgan skipped off and disappeared around a corner, leaving a very disoriented Scary scrambling to get up.

The Prince of Gale stood there for a moment, an air of gloom surrounding him. He just...couldn't believe that even though he was being nice...he was still creepy. How could he be creepy?! In Gale, he was only called Scary because of his skill with a Goddess-damn bow and curse!

He sighed heavily. "Great. First, I meet a King who more than likely wants to kill me. Then, a Prince who is rather strange for his age. And now, a boy who has the guts to call me creepy! Can this trip be any wor-!"

He cut himself off when he felt his mark pulse for a moment. Surprised, he slapped a hand over it and looked around when he felt a sudden pull in a random direction. At first he saw nothing, but when he looked around for a second time, he caught a glimpse of a white dove disappearing around the corner, the opposite way of Morgan's.

"Was that a ghost?" he asked himself. "But, my mark never reacts to ghosts...unless... Oh, Goddess-damn."

Worried and slightly scared, he jogged after the white dove. To him, anything that had to deal with his mark, was either a very horrifying thing or a ridiculously wonderfully thing. Mostly it was horrible. He chased it down many halls, and stumbled around many corners. Usually, he wasn't this clumsy, but he wasn't really putting much effort on where he was going and focusing more on not losing the bird. He nearly bypassed it when it suddenly turned and disappeared into a door, his mark beginning to burn. Scary didn't think and thought nothing of what would happen if he opened the door. He only reacted.

He slammed the door open and was almost immediately bombarded with a huge gust of wind. He squeezed his eyes shut as something pulled him in rather harshly, literally throwing him into the room.

"Whoa!" cried a girl's voice. Scary snapped his eyes open and gasped when he recognized Asuna standing in the middle of an activated magic circle with a strange marking at its center, looking at him in surprise with wide hazel eyes. He clearly remembered meeting her formally the evening he meet Kazuto. She was hiding her annoyance with the straight face she managed to keep up when Kazuto teased her with a smile. Scary had to admit, she was good at holding back her emotions.

"Good Etra!" yelled an older man's voice. Scary only caught a glimpse of the King of Aincrad, who had an apologetic smile on his face, as he was thrown into another magic circle that appeared next to Asuna's. He nearly choked in surprise when the circle's center matched his marking. He could see another person in the room and recognized the King of Alfheim with his eyes wide with surprise then filled with hatred the next second. Scary shook his head and tried to gather himself. He could barely register what everyone else was saying as a voice he recognized spoke clearly into the room.

**_"So, you have arrived. I knew you would come, Prince of Gale."_ **

"E-Etra?!" he stammered in surprise as he shakily stood up, ignoring the searing pain in his mark. Kazune suddenly outstretched his hands and the room slowly filled with low gusts of winds. Scary gritted his teeth and held a hand over his mark as it intensified further. At the corner of his eye, he could see Asuna falling to one knee with a cry of shock. He couldn't blame her. Ceremonies of any sort weren't exactly pain-free except the Purification Ceremonies. In fact, he knew he must've interrupted an "Appointing" Ceremony, but with the voice of the Goddess expecting him told him otherwise.

"Goddess Etra, I present to you the candidates for your permission to be appointed; Scary, the Prince of Gale and Asuna, the Daughter of your Closest Knight."

Scary was shocked. He was only here for Kazuto's birthday and nothing more, not to be an "Appointed"! He wanted to tell the Goddess, but he knew that it would be hopeless. Once she had chosen, nothing could change her mind.

**_"I, Etra, the Goddess of Life, grant my permission to The Prince of Gale, and The Daughter of My Closest Knight."_ **

The pressure on his marking suddenly lifted and a surge of warmth flowed through his body. Scary could barely hold himself up. His breathing was coming in gasps and he was sweating all over. Taking several much needed gulps of air, he shared a look with Asuna who was on her knees and tilting her head back with her arms hugging herself as she, too, was taking several gulps of air. He could clearly read her expression.

 _"I thought I was gonna die!"_  Asuna mouthed to him. Scary couldn't help but let out a huff of air in slight amusement as he mouthed a reply.

"Me, too." He knew that before Etra gave permission, there was always some sort of pain involved no matter what you do, mark or no mark.

"But, Etra-"

**_"I have chosen. These two shall be by Kazuto's side. Do not question me. My word is law."_ **

"Of course, Goddess Etra." came Kazune's voice. Scary finally collapsed on his side, all of his energy completely drained from him. He could no longer hear the Kings talking to the Goddess and tried to stay awake. He looked over to Asuna one last time. She was on her side, already fading out.

**_"Rest now. Your duty will begin soon, *****. Very soon."_ **

Without much of a choice, Scary finally slipped into unconsciousness.

._._._._._.

"Yay! It's this time of the year!" Morgan cheered as he rushed over to Kazuto's side the moment he slammed open the door to the Prince's room. Scary blinked twice when Morgan had disappeared from his side. When he woke up this morning, he found himself in his bed back in the guest room with Sinon asking if he was alright. He didn't have much of a choice but to tell her what happened last night. She was surprised, and a little upset, but she was quick to accept it since the Goddess, herself, had briefly met Scary. While he was heading over to the Great Hall for a quick bite to eat, he ran into Morgan. Quite literally. From there, he ended up being dragged to meet Kazuto in his room, unable to convince Morgan that he didn't need to see Kazuto.

"Well, Good morning, Morgan, Scary. Did you guys eat yet?" Kazuto greeted them from his bed, his voice tired and slightly strained. The Prince of Aincrad didn't look very well with the barely noticeable bags under his eyes. He was still wearing his night-clothes and he looked like he just woke up. Morgan didn't bother to answer as he climbed into the bed and sat next to him. Scary found it a bit odd to see Kazuto sitting up on the bed. Out of the past few days he'd been with him, Kazuto was normally (or abnormally) cheery, despite the fact that there was something weird going on in the castle. To Scary, Kazuto seemed a bit paler than he was yesterday. A tray of food sat on the night stand next to him. He couldn't help but notice that it was all fruits and vegetables.

"Morning, Kazuto. What's up with your breakfast?" Scary asked. Kazuto had a half-smile on his face as Morgan answered for him.

"Kazuto can't handle eating meat! It makes him very sick. Even fish!" Morgan said rather happily. Scary caught the twitch in Kazuto's smile.

"Really? Sounds like you have to have a completely meat-free meal every day. Do you ever get tired of it?" he asked Kazuto. The other Prince shrugged his shoulders and moved to get out of bed.

"Not really," he replied. Morgan was at his side in a flash and helped him get up. Kazuto wanted to tell Morgan that it was fine, but he knew it would be pointless since the boy was ridiculously stubborn. "It only gets tiring if they give you the same thing every day. You can have some if you want. I can tell Morgan here, dragged you here before you got the chance to eat."

Scary blinked in surprise. How did Kazuto know? Morgan just smiled as he held Kazuto's hand and led him to his desk. Kazuto took a seat in his chair and took out a feather pen and a parchment. He turned to Morgan with a smile. "Morgan, please get a plate for you and Prince Scary. I'll be happier if you two eat something."

Morgan perked up and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Kazuto! Be right back!"

With a quick wave to Scary, the boy ran out the door and closed it politely behind him. Scary stared at the closed door for a moment before turning his attention back to the tray of fruits on the night stand. He glanced back at Kazuto to see him writing something. As much as he wanted to take at least a kiwi, he resisted the urge and picked up a small plate of fruit, knowing that the other Prince needed it more than he did. He carried it over to Kazuto's desk and placed it next to him. Kazuto paused and looked up at Scary with a confused expression, silently questioning him.

"You need it more than I do. Besides, I'm not about to help you hide the fact that you're not eating from Yulier." Scary said as he turned away with his arms crossed. Kazuto nervously laughed.

"Hahaha, you're smarter than you act." he deadpanned. Scary glared at him.

"Well, excuse me for being such a jerk." The Prince of Gale muttered. He watched Kazuto begrudgingly pick up a slice of fruit and nibble on it before taking a look around. It seemed unusually quiet for some odd reason. Scary looked around to see if there was anything missing. "Hey, Kazuto, where's your bird, Yui? Wait, that's not it. Yui? No, Yuma...?"

"It's Yume." Kazuto corrected off handedly as he wrote something down on a parchment. "She's somewhere, but I'm sure she'll come fluttering in soon. She never stays away from my side for too long...unless she's with Asuna."

"Hm, that makes sense. So, what are you doing?" Scary asked him as he walked to the balcony doors. He couldn't help but notice that they were recently replaced.

"Just making a list of pranks. I do these every year." Kazuto said without looking up. The other Prince blinked as he walked back to Kazuto's desk.

"Wait, you do this every year?" Scary asked as he looked over Kazuto's shoulder. The Prince of Aincrad hummed "yes" as he continued to write.

"And since you're practically like me, we can take some revenge on some of the council members! Morgan is going to help us out." Kazuto said, glancing at Scary. He didn't miss the look of worry that crossed his face before it chanced to a smile.

"Are you sure these are safe?" The Prince of Gale questioned. Kazuto placed his feather pen down and rolled up his parchment with a wide grin.

"You doubt me?"

"...a little...I mean, I can tell that you're not well at the current moment and I think your illness is starting to affect your decision-making negatively." Scary admitted as he nervously scratched his left cheek on impulse. Kazuto got up from his desk and placed a hand on the taller teen's shoulder, still grinning.

"Oh, come on! I do this every year! So, there's absolutely nothing to worry about!" he assured. Scary couldn't help but laugh as he smiled and tapped Kauto's forehead with his knuckle.

"Fine. I'll join your little game." he said. He didn't really want to do this, but revenge on some of the council members? Who the hell would be Goddess-damn dumb enough to miss out on the perfect opportunity to extract revenge?

._._._._._.

He was worried. Agil hadn't heard from Kazuto-or rather-Kirito since the day he sent him home. He was about to head over the castle himself just to make sure the Prince of Aincrad was alright. But, with the First Day of Ash Tree at the marrow, he didn't anytime to do so between the preparations and running his bar. The restaurant had been pretty busy with people he had never seen before. The locals had been flustered when they saw a sudden new faces, especially Faeries. Normally, Faeries barely ever cross into Aincrad, unless they were looking for an adventure.

Agil began to worry when it was announced that the Kingdom of Aincrad has freely opened its gates to nobles and common folk. He could tell that the King was quite reluctant by how late the order was. He was beyond shocked when Asuna suddenly appeared out of the blue.

"Ah! Asuna! What brings you here?" Agil asked from behind the counter as the said woman sat at the corner of the bar. Asuna glared at him half-heartedly as a few customers turned their heads in wonder. She was wearing a brown cloak that reached to her ankles, her head covered with a hood.

"Shut up, Agil!" she snapped in gritted teeth. Agil gave her an apologetic nod.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you here." he said as Miyuna quickly took over for him. She shooed him away with a knowing look. She wasn't happy, but with the grim look on Asuna's face, she knew that it was more than likely to be very important. Agil thanked her with a smile as he turned to Asuna. "Let's go upstairs. We'll have more privacy upstairs."

Asuna was quick to follow Agil up the stairs, eager to get out of the crowded area. The noise and clatter sound lowered to smothered sounds as Agil closed the door to a room Kirito used when he was around. Asuna sighed in relief and threw her hood down. Her chestnut hair tumbled down as they were freed from its confines. The sub-leader turned to face the store keeper with a serious stare.

"I'll let you know right now that I don't have much time, so I want straight answers. Not sugar-coating. Got it?" she asked rather harshly. Agil's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he took a step back and raised his hands up in defense.

"U-understood!" he answered. Asuna crossed her arms and the taller (and not to mention older) man seemed to shrink slightly under her gaze.

"You know who Kirito really is, don't you?" she asked. It didn't sound like a question, but more like a statement. Agil frowned as he regained his composure and returned her gaze.

"Yes, I do." he answered.

"How long have you known?" asked Asuna.

"About two years." Agil said. Asuna crossed her arms and took a seat in the wooden chair at the desk.

"How'd you meet him?"

Agil paused for a moment. He could clearly remember the day when Kazuto approached him with a worn book in his hands and his eyes filled with fear and a twinge of curiosity. "Well, I used to make deliveries to the castle. I met Our Prince by pure chance. He approached me and asked about the world outside the castle walls. Of course, I told him since he asked. Eventually he asked me to help him see the outside. I couldn't refuse the Prince so, I decided to give him a place to stay whenever he was in town. Of course, I made sure he didn't go too far from the city walls."

Asuna blinked in surprise. "I wasn't actually expecting you to tell me straight up, but then again, I did ask you to give it to me straight."

"Why are you even questioning me?" Agil asked. The swordswoman stood up and placed her hands at her hips.

"I got curious when I was given a task by His Highness." Asuna said. Agil hummed in understanding.

"By the way, I heard that you were chosen to be his Guard. Handpicked, actually." He said. The swordswoman frowned slightly.

"He sent a bird to pick me." she deadpanned.

"What?"

"His Highness asked me to verbally deliver to you. Are you willing to hear it?" Asuna asked, quickly changing the subject. She didn't really want to even think about that day. Not when she found out she tried to arrest the Prince of Aincrad for murder. That was just...embarrassing to say at least. Agil blinked in surprise but nodded anyway.

"Yes, please."

"These are....his exact words..." Asuna seemed to trail off for a moment as if she was debating whether to say it or not, but with Agil's waiting stare, she just went with it. She suddenly smiled and tilted her head to the side. Her voice was light and amused; a perfect impersonation of Kazuto. "'Curiosity killed the cat and now has its paws tied together,'" She curled her hands and placed them as if they were the paws of a cat tied together. "-'unable to leave. The 'Crown' is beyond convincing. So, there's no need to worry about the rest of the cat's remaining seven lives. But, don't worry. The cat is quite resilient.'"

Once Asuna was finished, her smile dropped with her hands and her face flushed red with embarrassment. Agil had his lips pursed together as he quickly translated the rather ridiculous message in his head. His Prince was caught by his father and now he was no longer allowed to leave the castle. Kazuto even thanked him in a way and he will be going back to his normal routine as soon as he could.

There was a heavy silence between them.

"...is that all?" Agil asked, breaking the silence. Asuna nodded.

"....Un."

Agil sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to say that he ordered you to do this on purpose..."

Asuna straightened up to regain her composure with a small sigh as her face still held a tinge of pink. "I had the same feeling."

"Well, I suppose that he's alright, then." Agil said. Asuna had a small frown on her face as she nodded.

"That depends on your definition of alright. Personally, I think he's lost half of his head in the clouds." she said. Agil nodded in understanding. He knew first hand that Kazuto (including Kirito) was a bit hard to handle with his constant habit to pull a prank here and there. He was about to let her go when a thought popped in his head.

"Come to think of it, who will be aiding His Highness during his Purification Ceremony? I heard that the Prince of Gale will be taking a part of it, but I find it hard to believe that an outsider was allowed to take part on a serious Ceremony." he said, frowning. Asuna pressed her lips together and wrung her hands together.

"Well...about that... I am." She answered. Agil was about to congratulate her, but he was stopped with her hand raised as she continued. "But, I'm not the only one."

Agil blinked in surprise. "Wait a minute, there's more than one?! That's against the law isn't it?"

The swordswoman shook her head. "Actually, no. It's not. There's only been one since the Goddess suddenly stopped accepting the second 'Appointed' a hundred years ago."

"Then what made it different this year?" Agil asked, curious about the sudden change in the Purification Ceremony. Asuna shifted all her weight into her right leg and placed a hand on her hip.

"I'm not very sure. But I can tell you what happened." she said.

"Are you sure? I think I have to remind you I'm just a commoner running a bar." Agil said. Asuna shrugged.

"I have a feeling that I can trust you." she said as she gave Agil a small smile. "Setting that aside, I was being granted permission from the Goddess to take part in the Ceremony when The Prince of Gale suddenly interrupted 'The Appointing' Ceremony. It was quite unintentional, I must say. It seemed like he was thrown into the room by something! His Majesty actually expected the Prince to appear. It surprised me even more when Goddess Etra granted permission to both of us at the same time. It just happened late last night. The King himself was "Appointing" me." she explained. "It was...quite painful. I never expected anything like that. I can see why Ryoutarou didn't give me many details about the time he was 'Appointed'."

"The Appointing" was a small ceremony to grant a person the permission to touch the Prince during his Purification Ceremony. It usually wasn't very important, so it was done in secret with both Kings from Alfheim and Aincrad. Normally, there was only one "Appointed", and it was quite unnatural for there to be two of them at the same time. Asuna had asked why the king himself couldn't be appointed, but there was a strict rule placed on the family members. No one, except the "Appointed", was allowed to touch the Prince, including the family members.

"It's also a first for a Prince to be 'Appointed'. And for the Goddess to be expecting him must mean that the Prince of Gale is more than just a common 'Prince'." Agil concluded. Asuna nodded in agreement.

"I agree. He did seem a bit strange when I met him. If anything, I'd have to say that he almost has the same aura Kirito." she said. She clearly remembered meeting the Prince after finding Prince Kazuto in the miniature library the day she had to chase her Prince practically everywhere before she could catch him. It made her slightly irritated that the Prince of Gale misguided her. At least he admitted to the deed...ish.

"Hm...it seems like it's all coming true..." Agil muttered under his breath. Asuna tilted her head.

"Hm? What do you mean?" she asked him. The store owner shook his head and waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, nothing! It's not really something to worry about." he assured her. Asuna didn't look happy with that answer, but decided to let it go for now and question him seriously next time.

"...If you say so." she said, hesitantly. She looked over to the window and saw the sun reaching noon. Turning to Agil, she gave a short nod. "Well, thank you for being honest with me and listening to me rant a little. It's almost time for the Purification ceremony. I have a feeling I need to mentally prepare myself."

"Right. I wish you the best of luck, Asuna." Agil said with a smile. Asuna thanked him once more and left the room, throwing her hood up as she left the room. Agil strode over to the window and looked up to the skies. It was clear with a few non-threatening clouds lazing around. Agil could help but give a half-hearted smile.

"I guess this is what would be called...the calm before the storm?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate Scary. He's just naturally short tempered. Heh, Tsundere almost. XD


	11. A Prince or a Prankster?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pranks Begin.

_It was cold and the dark gray lighting didn't help either. The room was abnormally large and squared evenly. The walls were dark with gray bricks placed perfectly in place. The floor was tiled with the smoothest of white stone-or as many called it-marble. A spiral staircase leading downward was at the northeastern corner of the room. On one side was an inverted clock face that ticked endlessly. The roman numerals looked perfectly straight, yet twisted so strangely in its sable iron. The hands of the clock were even stranger. At first glance, it was just the shadows of the hands that had an air of normality; nothing odd and nothing off...that is until one truly looked at it. Its shadows twisted and swirled, as if ready to attack. The tips of the hands themselves looked like an arrow that could pierce even the hardest of things._

_And, yet, despite its crude appearance, it was nothing like it seemed. For sure, on the outside, no one would dare to enter such a place. In fact, the clock had a reason for its appearance. Just one._

_A boy in his late teens laid down on his back and had his hands reached upward, as if to touch the stained glass ceiling. Of course, he was nowhere close to reaching it. It was several hundred feet above him. It didn't sadden him. In fact, it rather bored him._

_He had absolutely nothing to do._

_His once lively, black eyes were a dull green, ill-glowing from his lack of something he couldn't remember. His silky black hair bestrewed around him. It wasn't very long, but it wasn't short either. If he were to be standing it would've reached to the nape of his neck. His skin was pale and he looked healthy. If it wasn't for the horrible, stark white scar on his collarbone that peeked from under his black shirt, one could say he was perfectly fine. The black coat he normally wore was spread out underneath him as a blanket. His pants were black and had a white trace of seams. His feet were bare, but he didn't care. He had no reason to care._

_He allowed his hands to drop and land above his head as he sighed. He was bored. He had been in this Goddess-forsaken place for Goddess knows how long. All he could hear is the constant ticking of a clock. The sound of each tick annoyed him at first, but he learned to endure it. He could hear the groaning of the gears of the clock moving constantly around him._

_He closed his eyes and tried to slip into a lazy nap, but something different from the constant ticking sounded. He opened his ill-green eyes and stared at the staircase. Several seconds ticked by until someone finally appeared._

_A black-haired man with sky blue eyes-rimmed with red, strode across the room and came to a stop. He was dressed in a fine majestic blue coat and his golden crown sat atop his head. The King knelt down to the teen and gave a sad smile. "Am I late again?"_

_"Late? Do you think I would know how much time has passed with this damn clock ticking away?" came the voice of the teen, sharp yet soft. His eyes stared straight ahead at the ceiling, not bothering to look at the King. "Has Goddess Etra thrown you in this Realm of Dreams for her own amusement?"_

_The King of Aincrad frowned as he took off his crown and placed it somewhere out of the way. He took a seat and laid back next to the teen. "No. I came here on my own. Setting that aside, things are going just the way you have said. The Prince of Gale and the Daughter of Etra's Closest Knight are in place. The only piece that's missing is... well, The Third Prince and you."_

_The teen scoffed. "Ha! As if, Kazune. You know I can't leave this place. I'm sealed within here for eternity until that damn curse breaks."_

_The King rolled his eyes. "I meant your blessing as a Restorer." The teen stayed silent as Kazune changed the subject. "Honestly, Goddess Etra is not happy. She would rather have you dead than keep you here in this Goddess-forsaken tower."_

_The teen slowly blinked, as if he heard this a hundred times. "Can't say that I disagree with her. I should be dead, anyway." He sat up and looked at the King. "Do you know how many times I have tried to kill myself? Eight-hundred and fifty-two times and am I dead? No! I tried to hang myself, jump off the stairs, bleed to death, suffocate myself..." He threw his hands high above his head and he fell back with a heavy, stressed sigh._

_"If only I had killed that Goddess-damn demon of Amire's, we wouldn't have to deal with this mess."_

_Kazune sighed. "You know...every time I come here, you say the same thing. Just the suicide attempts grow in number by a good fifty-times. I think you forget the Cardinal Clock Tower loves you so much that it can't let you die."_

_The teen huffed, getting over his little tantrum. "Right. Sorry. So, tell me. What do you think your son will do this year?"_

_A smile appeared on Kazune's face as he closed his eyes and relaxed. "Not sure. His is quite the unpredictable one."_

_"Heh. Of course."_

._._._._._.

~The Night Before The 1st of Ash Tree (October)~

Knock, knock, knock!

"Kazune, are you in there? Suguha and Midori are looking for you! It's late already! Come out!" called Oberon as he stood outside the doors of the King's Study, holding a slightly thick candle in a smoothly carved holder with a hand. He was concerned. He hadn't seen him since dinner when Kazune excused himself to go to his Study. Usually, Kazune would be challenging him to an evening game of chess by now. Midori asked Oberon to go and find her husband and drag him out of his duties ("Just in case he buried himself in his work again. Suguha had been searching for her father for a while now, too." Midori said).

"Kazune?" Oberon called out again when he heard no answer. Frowning deeply, he opened the door with ease, slightly surprised that the door wasn't locked. Worried now, he called out once more as he entered, "Kazune, if you still want that game of chess-"

Oberon cut himself off and pressed his lips together into a flat frown at the sight that greeted him. The King of Aincrad was hunched over his desk with his face buried in his arms. His shoulders rose slightly with each slow breath he took, clearly sleeping. Oberon sighed and entered the room, muttering under his breath. "By the Goddess, he needs to know when he's at his limit."

He stopped in front of Kazune's desk and stood there, trying to remember what he would normally do in this type of situation. First, he tried calling out to Kazune.

"Oi. Kazune. Wake up. Wake up! Don't make me dump water on you!" Oberon threatened, already holding up a hand to prepare a water spell. Kazune didn't budge and continued to dream. The King of Alfheim tried again.

"Hey! Kazune! Don't think I'm not going to do it! You maybe forty-three and not seventeen, but that doesn't mean I won't do it!" Oberon said, waving his hand down by a few inches, but the other King didn't budge.

"Oh-kaaaaay~ One...." He began as he raised his hand diagonally upward. "Two..." He lifted his hand above his head and felt a cold sensation building at his fingertips as a blue light swirled at the tips of his hand. He paused for a moment to look down at Kazune. The King was completely, blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

"Kazune, if you don't wake up, I'll give you an early bath!" echoed a much younger version of Oberon's voice in his head. He saw a memory of a seventeen-year-old Kazune in the same position with the same exact expression in the same exact place.

"Brother, I don't think that's a good idea..." said another voice. Oberon could clearly see the frown on his sister's gentle face, but he quickly blocked that portion of his memory and focused on the real world.

"You asked for it." he said simply as he brought his arm down with a flick of his wrist. The blue light that gathered in his hand dropped like a ball and fell right on top of Kazune, splashing all over the King as it turned into water.

"COLD!" Kazune yelped as he leapt to his feet, his eyes wide and darting around. He hugged himself to try to warm himself up. The King was thoroughly soaked. Oberon grinned widely as he watched his childhood friend's familiar reaction. To him, it seemed like Kazune hadn't completely changed over the time he has known him. A pair of shocked blue eyes met amused green.

"By the Goddess, Oberon! I'm not seventeen anymore!" Kazune exclaimed, eyes still wide. Oberon laughed at his friend's predicament and placed a hand of his waist.

"What? Waking you up from your untimely naps is never easy. Remember that time? You slept through an entire heated argument between your father and his council." he said. Kazune scowled.

"Should I also mention that you were sitting in the front?" Oberon added. That scowl turned into a glare.

"S-shut up! That was once! You were the one who kept me up all night with your stupid night venturing trip!" Kazune argued, trying in vain to hide the embarrassment that tinted his cheeks pink by averting his gaze. Oberon smirked.

"Oh? Tossing the blame now? What kind of King are you?" he teased, aggravating Kazune more.

"Oberon!"

The King of Alfheim laughed as he waved his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! I'll stop with the jokes...for now."

Kazune rolled his eyes and pulled off his over coat. He shivered at the cold night air and grabbed another spare coat he had stored in a drawer.

"By the way, Suguha has been looking for you." Oberon said as he glanced at the papers on Kazune's desk. He couldn't make out any of the words because they were all smudged together with water. "... and sorry about your papers. I hope it wasn't important."

Kazune glared at Oberon. "They were. One was a letter to Heathcliff, another was a report on ongoing murder case in the Castle Town, and the completely drenched one is my letter to the King of Gale! I swear, I think you're trying to make my life harder than it should be."

Oberon frowned at the mention of the King of Gale. "You mean the one who decided to send his children instead of coming himself? I must say, he is a coward. Shutting himself in when Kaori died. Shameful!"

"Oberon," Kazune began as he gingerly picked up the soaked papers. "You shouldn't be too quick to judge the other King. I'm sure he had his reasons."

"By the way...I recall him having three children. Why did he only send two?" Oberon questioned as he helped moving any books away from the water. Kazune shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not very sure. Maybe they are up to something at the current moment." he answered as he looked for a place to dry the parchments.

"Wasn't Scary's brother named Eugeo? Heck, 'Scary' shouldn't even be his real name! It sounds too stupid for a parent to name their child. And a prince, no less!" Oberon said as he began to shelve the books that were still dry. He didn't have to even ask how to shelve the books. He had practically grown up with Kazune to know where and how the other King would like his books to be shelved.

"Ahahaha...I'm sure it's only a nickname. Have you seen his precision with a bow? It's deadly accurate. His eyes are sharp and I can assure you that Princess Sinon is just as good. Prince Scary certainly lives up to his nickname." Kazune said. Oberon hummed.

"Hmm...then I suppose that is why the Goddess chose him to be an 'Appointed' one."

"Erm... not quite. I would say it is because of who he is and not what he is." Kazune muttered. The Faerie King gave him a side glance.

"Come to think of it... You knew that he was coming, didn't you?" Oberon said suspiciously. Kazune gave him a sheepish laugh.

"Ahahaha... it was gut feeling."

"...You and your stupid intuitions."

._._._._._.

~1st day of Ash Tree~

Kazuto's smile twitched in annoyance as he looked at his reflection in the mirror of his room. He was wearing a white overcoat outlined with silver-blue. His hands were covered with a thin pair of fingerless, white gloves. His button-down shirt was white with matching white pants. Simply put, he was wearing all white. But, oddly enough, his feet were bare. Morgan's head peeked from behind him.

"Hmm...ano, Kazuto, is it safe to say you haven't really grown for the past five years...?" the boy asked the Prince. Kazuto sighed heavily as he messed with the white ("Damn all this white..." Kirito muttered) belt around his waist.

"I could've sworn I hit a growth spurt, too..." he said with a tone of disappointment. Morgan took a step back as Kazuto turned to face him. He handed his Prince a small vial that held a clear liquid. Kazuto took it and scowled at it. "Ugh, this again."

Morgan just shrugged as he looked over Kazuto once more. "If anything, I think you've lost weight again."

Before Morgan could finish his sentence, a tick mark appeared on Kazuto's forehead. He yanked the cork off the vial with a little more force than necessary. He couldn't deny the fact that, yes, he had lost weight, but Morgan didn't have to point it out. As he downed its contents, he karate chopped Morgan's head with a free hand.

Smack!

"OW!" Morgan yelped as he quickly brought his hands to nurse his head. "By the Goddess! You hit pretty hard for a sick Prince!"

Another tick mark appeared on Kazuto's forehead. The moment Morgan's hands left his head, Kazuto karate chopped his head again with another smack! He whimpered rather pathetically as Kazuto gagged on the earthy taste of the clear liquid.

"Nugh, language, Morgan. Language. Bleh, I hate this thing..." the Prince said as he glared at the empty vial. He was about to cork it closed when he suddenly remembered something. "Morgan, is the sun fully above the horizon?"

Morgan shrugged and hurried over to a window that faced east, looking for the sun. The sky outside was still dark, but it was slowly getting lighter. "I'm not sure, Kazuto! But..."

"But...?" Kazuto prompted him. Morgan turned to face him with a worried look on his face.

"But, I'm not sure with the Eastern Tower in the way." he said.

"...Shouldn't Scary and Asuna be here already?" Kazuto asked as he looked in the mirror once more. There was a knock on his door and Morgan rushed to open it.

"-ing me a spoiled brat? If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're the spoiled brat." Came Scary's cold voice.

"I am not a spoiled brat! I have been in actual combat, you know!" came Asuna's comeback. Kazuto internally sighed as he turned to the doorway. Asuna was dressed in her usual Knights of Blood Oath uniform and her hazelnut hair stayed the same. Kazuto nearly sighed when he saw her rapier strapped to her side. She was currently glaring at Scary.

The Prince of Gale was dressed quite simply with a white button down shirt and slacks. His boots were just below his knee and Kazuto could tell there was a hidden dagger in there. In fact, Scary had hidden the knife very well, he nearly missed it. Scary's light blue hair was its usual mess, almost as if it was windswept. Kazuto wasn't surprised to see the Prince armed with a quiver and a bow strapped to his back. He was giving Asuna his "Do I look like I care?" look.

Morgan, on the other hand, had disappeared behind the door with a straight face that completely said, "Ain't no way Imma be part of this."

"So? If anything you could still be a bratty kid." Scary said, his voice as blunt as a bat.

Kazuto forced a smile as his two "Appointed" were arguing about something. He didn't bother to ask what in the world was irritating them (but he was pretty darn sure they were annoyed with each other) as he cleared his throat.

"Good morning, Asuna! Scary!" he practically exclaimed. Both said people jumped slightly and turned to face the Prince of Aincrad. Scary blinked at Kazuto while Asuna flushed in embarrassment.

"F-forgive me, Your Highness, for my rude behavior!" she said, her voice rushed as she bowed in respect. Scary just crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg as he looked over Kazuto.

"Well, you certainly look healthier than yesterday." He said with a bored face. Kazuto laughed.

"Hahaha, well, I suppose you're right." He said with a smile. "And Asuna, you may rise. When no one is around you can call me Kazuto. I'm not too formal, remember?"

Asuna hesitantly rose from her bow but she kept her eyes downward. Even though she played an unofficial game of tag with the Prince, she still couldn't look at him. "O-of course..."

Kazuto sighed and decided to let it pass. He looked over to Scary. "Shall we go? The soon we leave the earlier we can get done for the day."

"Right."

As the three left, Kazuto paused at his door and told Morgan to wait for his bird, Yume, to come back. He scurried to follow after Asuna and Scary, who both waited for him at the bottom of the steps. Asuna began to lead to the way to his purification site (which was underneath the castle) and both Scary and Kazuto hung at the back.

"So, is everything prepared for tonight, Scary?"

The Prince of Gale grinned. "Yup."

"The strings?"

"All tied and ready to go."

"The Head Cook's Awareness?"

"Oblivious."

"Everyone else?"

"Never batted an eye."

"The turkey?"

"Looks completely normal."

Kazuto grinned. "Perfect."

._._._._._.

About ten minutes later, Asuna and Scary found themselves in front of a pair of large double doors underneath the Castle of Aincrad. It was completely smooth and carved very elegantly. Oddly enough, the doors had a grand oak tree carved into it. They could see each and every leaf and branch with so much detail that it almost looked real. Almost.

"By the Goddess..." Asuna breathed as a hand slowly rose to cover her mouth. "It's so..."

"...grand." Scary finished for her. Asuna glanced at him and frowned, dropping her hand since he ruined the mood.

"Not quite what I was thinking." she said. Kazuto shook his head and walked passed them. He placed a hand on the door and closed his eyes.

"Goddess Etra," he began in a clear voice, "I, Prince Kazuto of Aincrad, request your permission to enter the Chamber of Springs."

A split second later, the grand doors cracked and slowly slid inward. A huge gust of wind rushed past Kazuto and he stood his ground. His white coat and black hair flailed wildly, but he didn't flinch. He had gone through the process so many times that he learned that the wind would never hurt him. Before him was a dark hall that lead downward with a blue-ish, white glow at the end. Asuna's jaw slacked while Scary's fell open as they both took two steps back. Kazuto stood there with a smile on his face and turned to them.

"I'm not sure how long it'll take, but I'll came back as soon as I'm done." he said. After a small nod from the two, he turned on his heel and casually strolled in. Scary quickly gathered his composure and shook his head as the grand doors slammed shut behind the small Prince.

"...and here, I thought Gale was pretty serious." he said as he crossed his arms. Asuna seemed to have gathered herself too as she gave him an odd look.

"What?" Realization hit her. "Oh, right. You're a Prince. Sorry."

Scary just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Asuna shifted as an awkward silence fell in between them. She could tell that the Prince wasn't a cheery, friendly person like Prince Kazuto, but she could see that he had a pretty good reason to. His cold voice was void of any interest, and his face just screamed "I don't like you!" What she couldn't see was how in the world her Prince and Prince Scary can actually tolerate each other.

The minutes soon grew to an hour as they continued to stand in front of the doors and the silence between was starting to become uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. Asuna was trying hard to ignore the other Prince but she couldn't. Prince Scary was just leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face. She looked a little closer and she could faintly see several burn marks scaring his right hand as if his hand were on fire at one point. Tiny, white scarred scratches were barely visible along his arms and she couldn't help but wonder what in the world he did to get those.

She bit her lip and felt a twinge of regret. This morning when she was heading over to her Prince's tower, she managed to get in an argument with Prince Scary. About what? About Prince Scary's choice of weapon. It was rather stupid, really. She unintentionally down-graded him by questioning why a Prince would use a bow rather than a sword. In Aincrad, those who use bows weren't that great. It was well-known for being used for only far distances. To many, it was a weapon for cowards that would rather attack the enemy from a distance. Heck, to top it all off, she even dared to call him a spoiled brat. Those scars just proved her wrong.

"About earlier..." she began as she looked away. Asuna could feel the Prince of Gale staring at her as she addressed him indirectly. "I apologize for calling you a spoiled brat, Your Highness. And...for disapproving your weapon of choice."

Asuna turned to him and bowed deeply. She heard him scoff and push away from the wall, walking up to her. He stopped before her and placed a hand on his waist.

"Actually, I should be the one apologizing." he said. Asuna was surprised when his tone of voice was a lot softer than before as she lifted her head in shock.

"Eh?" she asked rather dumbly. Scary averted his eyes as he frowned.

"You don't have to bow when no one is around." he said. Asuna became more confused but she straightened herself up anyway.

"Besides, I called you the spoiled brat, but something tells me that you are more than you seem." Scary continued. Asuna could help but give him a weird look.

"I could say the same for you. You don't seem like a spoiled brat." she said.

"I hope not." Scary answered as he looked back at the grand doors. Asuna couldn't help but give him a curious stare. She didn't know why, but the Prince kept giving her a weird sense of déjà vu. Every time she looked at him she couldn't help but feel like she should be snapping at him for something...or challenging him to do something.

...Then again, doing that would get her killed for sure. Well, if Scary really was that scary.

Asuna sighed and turned away when a single word kept popping up in her head, as if to remind her of something she could not.

**_"Yukio."_ **

._._._._._.

~The Evening of The 1st Day of Ash Tree~

Kazune wanted the night to already end. He had to deal with dumb idiots who call themselves nobles since the sun rose this morning. Today, of course, marked the first day of celebrations for the Prince of Aincrad's sixteenth birthday.

Believe him, he truly was happy and had been eager for this day to come, but he just forgot about the fact that his "stupid, idiotic, dumb jack-donkeys of a council" had invited several nobles across the country and commoners in and outside of Aincrad. Heck, even Faerie Leaders came to his doorstep, asking to join the festivities. There was no way he could say no to them. So, of course, he would be stressed. It was hard enough to make sure no one was to interrupt his son's purification ceremony.

Oberon was grateful to help him out, knowing how ridiculous the Council of Aincrad could be, and dealt with guests with him while Midori planned all the events the whole week before. Kazune even asked Princess Sinon and her brother to help him with preparations.

At the current moment, he was in the dining hall sitting in between Oberon and Midori. The dinner party had started just an hour ago and he was completely ready to kill someone. The only thing that was holding him back was Midori's constant whispers of assurance that the party would soon be over. Oberon helped with his constant jabs to his rib, forcing Kazune to plaster a smile on his face to hide his annoyance.

"Oh, cheer up, Kazune." Oberon muttered under his breath as he acknowledged a fellow Faerie with a smile and a wave. "Just endure this for one more hour and then you can run away like a scared dog with its tail in between your legs without anyone questioning you."

Kazune's smile twitched as he raised a cup to acknowledge own of his own council members. "Oberon..." he began through gritted teeth, "I will not hesitate to run my sword through your gut and throw you back into Alfheim."

"Not unless I run this fruit knife through your gut first." Midori casually said as she sliced an orange before her with a happy smile. Oberon's and Kazune's eyes widened at the threat and shared a nervous laugh.

"O-of course..." Kazune muttered turning his attention to across the room. He spotted Asuna standing next to a doorway with a somewhat serious face, still wearing her uniform. Although she was there to enjoy the party, she seemed a bit more concerned about something else. He could easily spot the two Galian children's light blue hair through the crowd with his daughter, Suguha. Even though many people had different hair colors, those two just stood out to him. Suguha had her hair clipped at the side since it was too short to do anything else. She wore a lavender corset dress and had two matching feathers attached to the edge of her dress near her shoulder. The Prince was wearing a somewhat frilly outfit and he looked like he wanted to kick a puppy. His sister wore a grayish-silver corset dress very much like Suguha but with matching gems dangling down her hair. He could see Scary glaring at his sister as she pulled on her brother's sleeve to join her in a dance. Suguha was on the other side of Scary and Kazune assumed that she was telling him to lighten up.

"Come to think of it, is something 'strange' going to happen this year?" Oberon asked, looking at Kazune. The King of Aincrad sighed and took a sip from his cup.

"Well, honestly, I hope it happens now-" He didn't get to finish his sentence when a shrill scream echoed through the hall, efficiently silencing everything. The music suddenly clashed to an end and everyone turned on their heel or turned their heads to the scream.

"BY THE GODDESS! WHAT MONSTROSITY IS THIS?!"

"KYAAA! The turkey's ALIVE!"

And sure enough, there, in the center of the dining table, was a dancing,  _cooked_  turkey. As soon as it registered in everyone's head, the whole room erupted into screams of horror and laughter, some not even knowing how to react. Kazune immediately recognized one of his council members, Lord Adan, suddenly step up and unsheathe his sword.

"Be gone, you horrid beast!" he exclaimed as he ran the dead turkey through. Unfortunately for him, the turkey kept dancing. Lord Adan screamed and ran into the crowd in fright.

The King of Aincrad took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, trying to keep himself from laughing at his shocked council members. Oberon elbowed him in attempt to calm Kazune down, but it didn't help much since he, too, had to scuffle down a laugh. Midori shook her head.

"There. You have officially found the cowards in you council..." she muttered. Kazune couldn't help but agree with his wife whole-heartedly.

"By the Goddess, at least it wasn't exploding barrels of beer this year." Oberon laughed quietly. Kazune couldn't hold back any longer and quickly excused himself from the dining hall. With all the confusion happening in the hall, his leave went unnoticed. He headed up the stairs and stopped at the only hallway with a candle lighting the place.

"So," said a black haired child. The boy looked up from rectangular gap in the wall with a gentle smile on his face. He was no longer dressed in his white attire and wore a simple white night shirt and pants lined with majestic blue. After all, his ceremony ended at noon. The thin strings tied to sticks in his frail hands glinted in the candle light. The light from the dining hall shone through the hole aiding the candlelight. "Do you like the dancing puppet Scary and I made?"

The King of Aincrad shook his head and laughed. "The strings you used..."

Kazuto grinned as he felt the strings suddenly felt lighter. He quickly threw the sticks behind him to get the evidence out of the way. "Well, I made Scary use one of those potions you taught me how to make a couple months ago. With seven tablespoons more of Windsor's Dust and three handfuls more of Illusion Leaf, it was great for making things invisible for a certain amount of time."

Kazune looked at his son incredulously. "So, you're telling me that you modified the recipe without anyone watching you?"

His son just shrugged as he began to roll up the now visible strings. "Well, Scary was the one who suggested the modifications. He's done it before with his sister to mess with people's heads. The result wasn't that great, but it worked anyway."

"Well, you're doing pretty well and it's only the first day!" Kazune said as he made sure to keep a distance to prevent himself from accidentally touching his son. Kazuto hummed in a daze as he looked down at the crowd below him. He could see the glinting of the left over needles Scary discreetly hid in his sleeve, shaking his head and coming up with an excuse to leave early. Sinon seemed like she was hard to get rid of.

"Hmm... I still liked the exploding beers from last year better."

._._._._._.

After the night with the "Turkey" incident, Kazuto already had a second prank planned out and ready to go. Of course, he waited for a day to make sure nothing too stupid happened so that his father wouldn't be too stressed out. But, instead of letting the day slip by, he made Morgan grab the things he needed while he was in his purification ceremony.

Once he was done, he quickly dismissed Asuna and had Scary help him and Morgan set up the trap-er,  _prank_. Kazuto chose a place where he knew many council members pass by in order to get to the library or to the kitchens. Morgan couldn't find anything very sticky, but he did find honey. Scary wasn't very happy with the choice since it was sweet. Kazuto, on the other hand, was delighted. So, without further ado, they prepared everything the needed for the third day.

~The 3rd Day of Ash Tree~

Asuna nearly jumped from her light doze against the wall when the double doors suddenly opened. Scary stretched as he could heard Kazuto's light footsteps. After ten hours of being in the Chamber of Springs, Kazuto was finally coming out, two hours longer than the first day. They both quickly came to the conclusion that with each day, his ceremony grew an hour longer. Of course, Yulier would come down and give them their breakfast and lunch, but it worried them a little since they couldn't enter the Chamber, even though they were the "Appointed". Yulier had told them several times that it was completely normal.

"Okay..." Kazuto began as he finally reached the doors. He seemed a little out of breath, but otherwise, fine. He plastered a tired smile. "Day three... all done."

"Are you alright, Your-I mean, Kazuto? You are slightly pale." Asuna asked, correcting herself when she remembered her order. Kazuto just shook his head and waved a hand dismissively while Scary gave him a look.

"Aha, it's normal. Nothing to be worried about." he assured. To prove his point, he led the way back to the first floor of the castle without needing any assistance. Asuna didn't believe him even when Scary told her that he'll be fine after a bit of rest. She wanted to stay by her Prince's side, but her other duties as Sub-Leader called her away. She thought she would be excused from that duty but Heathcliff really needed her.

Scary and Kazuto didn't head back to the Western Tower. Instead, they met up with Morgan and took a shortcut through the hidden passageways of the castle. The three of them was able to make it to the hall anyone must take (except Kazuto) to get to the library or kitchen without being seen.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Scary whispered next to Kazuto who was lying flat on his stomach. Morgan, who knelt on his other side giggled quietly.

"From this height? It better work." he said in a low voice. Kazuto breathed a laugh as he uncorked a large bottle of clear liquid labeled "Prank#2".

"Of course it will. I measured everything myself. Plus it worked seven years ago." he said as he pour the liquid to the floor below him, swinging his arm around to get the substance all over. Fortunately for him, the floors were polished to the point where it was glossy, making it hard to see any liquid. They were currently fifteen feet above the ground, all well hidden in the slab of stone that ran across the ceiling for decoration. It wasn't very dangerous. It was actually pretty safe to even jump on the stone. Luckily for them, no one would think anyone would be there...Well, other than a small handful...

"Okay, got honey?" Kazuto asked them. Morgan slid over three bottles of the golden substance.

"Right here." he said with a wide grin.

"The feathers?"

Scary grabbed the awfully large bag sitting behind him and place it on his crossed legs. "Courtesy of Yui-I mean, Yume."

Kazuto rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Scary, you really need to get her name down."

"Shut up." Came the snappy reply. Just then, they heard a set of footsteps coming from down the hall in the direction of the library. The boys quickly turned their attention to the hall below and all grinned when a man walked confidently with his cape flowing about him. Kazuto was quick to recognize him as one of the members of the council. He grinned.

"Lord Dailynd. According to Father, he's a prick in his side." He whispered. Morgan quickly handed him a jar of honey and waited.

"-ain it would only be a matter of time before-WARGH!" he was saying to himself before he slipped and landed on his arse. Kazuto lazily tipped the whole jar over and watched all the honey dump onto the Lord Dailyn's head.

"Wha-! What is this?!" he exclaimed. He was about to look up but he had to close his eyes as more honey rained down on him. He tried to use his hands to stop it, but it only successfully got the sweet, sticky substance on it. "By the Goddess!"

Scary, Morgan, and Kazuto wasted no time as they grabbed several handfuls of feathers in different sizes and colors and dropped it on the lord.

"NOOO!" the lord cried as he scrambled to get up but ended up slipping to the marble floor several times. It wasn't until his sixth try that he was able to successfully get up and run off down the hall, back toward the way he came. And Goddess...It was quite the sight to see. The poor lord was dripping in honey and losing a few feathers, but more than anything, he looked like an overgrown, deformed, multi-colored chicken screaming "THERE'S A POE IN THE CASTLE!". Morgan couldn't help the snickers and snorts he had as he tried to hold back his laughter. Kazuto was shaking his head as he laughed softly. Scary, however, had a hand clamped over his mouth as his shoulders shook uncontrollably.

It took them a good fifteen minutes to calm down. And luckily for them, no one came by. Scary was taking deep breaths as he shook his head and looked at Kazuto. "Wow, I guess Gale and Aincrad are about the same."

"Hahaha, h-how so?" Morgan asked, still laughing.

"They both have overgrown chickens that only care about their lives." Kazuto said with a smile.

"I couldn't have said it any better." Scary said.

._._._._._.

The next day, Kazuto was pretty darn sure that his father was well aware of the prank. In fact, his mother had to come back and scold him lightly about embarrassing council members...not without encouraging it afterwards. Scary had a bit of trouble of keeping Sinon in the dark about what in the world was going on, but he was able to come up with some good excuse one way or another ("You mean the weird things happening? Damn, am I lucky to not be at the receiving end." Scary said, offhandedly). Morgan wasn't questioned at all since he was somewhat known for his habit of "disappearing".

And, of course, Morgan's habit of "disappearing" gave Kazuto the perfect idea for overprotective people.

~The 5th Day of Ash Tree~ 

"KYAAAA! The Prince is missing! THE PRINCE IS MISSING!" came a horrified shriek that sounded like Yulier's voice. Scary had his hand paused over the door knob of the library before shaking his head. He knew exactly where the Prince was. According to the tip Kazuto gaze him the night before, he was quick to figure out where he would be. The library. He slipped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He casually strolled all the way to the back and peeked behind a bookshelf.

And sure enough, the Prince of Aincrad was leafing his way through a book of fairy tales.

"Did you know that there was a child who was called a demon because of his ability to restore things?" Kazuto asked as he didn't look up from his book. Scary sighed and placed a hand on his hip.

"Before I answer that question, mind telling me what in the hell did you do this morning?" he asked him. Kazuto smiled to him as he answered him.

"It was quite simple really. All I did was tie a few blankets together, left the balcony doors open, and tied the blanks to the railing. I know it doesn't sound much, but anyone who really cares for me would...well, scream in horror." he explained. Scary rubbed his face in his hands and groaned.

"You're a horrible Prince, you know that?" he said as he dropped his hands. Kazune laughed.

"Yeah. I know."

Scary sighed. "Anyway, to answer your question earlier, no, I haven't. I might not even be familiar to it since I'm not from Aincrad."

Kazuto hummed as he slowly closed the book in his hands with a frown. "Hmm, well...his story is not an Aincradian tale."

The other Prince blinked in surprise. "It's not? Well, I can assure you that it isn't a Galian tale. If it is, I would've heard it by now...what is that story about anyway?"

"..." Kazuto bit the back of his lip for a moment as he recalled the story.

"It's a bit long. Though, since I need to get my ceremony done, I can give you a very short version." He said as he got up. "The child who was born with the power to renew or restore things was called a demon. According to Father, he wasn't. In fact, he was like a human being. Just like you and me."

"Haaaah, I see. So a child who was accused for something he wasn't." Scary said as he crossed his arms. Kazuto nodded as he shelved the book back.

"Unfortunately, due to his title as a 'demon', everyone wanted him dead. I find it nice how his parents never wanted to kill him. In fact, they loved him so much they couldn't. As he grew, his mother had another child. A little brother. But, sadly, the gifted child died a few years after his little brother was born. Some people say that he's dead, but many say he isn't." Kazuto said as he looked at Scary, watching his reaction. The other Prince tilted his head slightly.

"Then which is it? Dead or alive?" he asked.

"Personally, I think he's dead. Father said that he's both. According to the ones who don't support his death said that he's sealed in this...place where he can never die and never age. As if he was cursed there." Kazuto answered.

"Sealed in a place where you can never die and never age... I don't think I could stand that. Being unable to die...sounds pretty scary to me..." Scary said as he frowned. Kazuto laughed slightly.

"'Scary'? Really? Is that the best way you could describe it?" he asked. Scary rolled his eyes and shook his head as Kazuto laughed at him. "Anyway, did the child have a name?"

Kazuto smiled as he calmed a bit. "Yeah. He did. I believe...it was Kirito. Kirito, The Black Swordman."


	12. Sweet, Loving Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like an idiot because I forgot to put some important references for the months, since they are not the same names. So, here: 
> 
> January - Apricot  
> February - Yew Tree  
> March - Ume (Plum)  
> April - Sakura  
> May - Westeria  
> June - Lilac  
> July - Ginko  
> August - Maple  
> September - Anemone  
> October - Ash Tree  
> November - Cypress  
> December - Holly

**~The Late Afternoon of the Fourth Day of Ash Tree~**

The sunlight glistened off of the golden blade of the Holy Sword of Alfheim. The green gems reflected its surroundings as Oberon held it up by the handle. Over the fifty long years he owned the sword, it still looked completely new. There wasn't a single scratch, stain of blood, or even a speck of dirt. Its edges were dangerously sharp; it could slice apart the strongest metal. Oberon used it well, only unsheathing it with "good" intentions.

For now, all he wanted to do was to admire the deadly beauty in his possession. To him, it was his way of "preparing" himself to do what he must...something either wretched or against his will. And by the Goddess, it was beyond wretched. If anything, one could (and most likely will) consider it as-

"Your Majesty?" called a voice. The Faerie King lowered Excalibur and turned his head to see his guest. There, bowing on one knee and his right hand touching his shoulder with his arm pressed against his chest, was Kuradeel. "The leader of the Laughing Coffin accepted your request for help, My King. They are on their way here."

"Will they arrive before the evening of the Seventh Day?" Oberon asked as he refocused his attention on his gleaming sword.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Oberon stood silently for a moment. "Kuradeel," he said as he tapped the stone floor with the tip of his blade and turned to the Knight. His eyes were steeled as he continued with a set frown. "Tell me, and answer me honestly, why have you joined me?"

Kuradeel bowed his head, careful to keep his expression blank as he answered. "I may have been born and raised in this country, but I cannot accept the lies that my people have been fooled to believe. King Kazune had murdered the Queen of Alfheim, Titania. Why should I follow a murderer who claims to be a king, Your Majestly?"

"You seek vengeance for the lies Kazune fed your people." Oberon restated in a simpler way. Kuradeel's nod confirmed his statement. "Do you truly believe that King Kazune deserves to die for the death of my sister?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." came the swift reply. Kuradeel answered with no hesitation and finality clear in his voice. Outside, Oberon grinned devilishly as his grip on his sword tightened, but at the back of his head, he felt an annoying nag that seemed persistent about something. He chose to ignore it as he dismissed Kuradeel with his final words.

"Good. Then we will proceed as planned. Make sure to give the King of Aincrad one... _hell_  of a  _show_."

._._._._._.

**~The Morning of the Fifth Day of Ash Tree~**

The Prince of Aincrad hated the fifth day of his ceremony and he had a pretty good reason why. Out of all the days, the fifth was always the worst. It became more tiring and terrifying each passing year. He began to fear the Fifth Day like a plague. And this year was no exception. To put it bluntly, Kazuto was about to flat out refuse to enter the Chamber of Springs when Scary and Asuna brought him to the grand doors. But, of course, he couldn't speak up. He could only plaster a convincing smile on and calmly (while internally panicking and screaming for help) entered the Chamber.

The water was cold as Kazuto knelt down to the shore of the spring. He couldn't help the shiver that crawled up his back when he settled himself in that spot. The Chamber of Springs was quite literally what its name stated. It was just a spring of water that sat in the middle of a stone-like chamber. There was not a single torch anywhere in sight. The room was lit up with the brightly glowing white light coming from the bottom of the spring. Of course, the white light was the pure energy that dwelled there.

Kazuto made himself as comfortable as he possibly could and attempted to relax. He sat there for a moment, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. Shoving down a lump of fear to the pit of his stomach, he sat up straighter and cleared his throat. He leaned forward to touch the water with the palm of his hands with half lidded eyes with practiced ease. Streams of crystal white ribbon-like threads of magic poured from his hands and flowed into the water, twisting and turning beautifully throughout the spring. Kazuto himself seemed to glow slightly as he finally closed his eyes. Underneath his coat, the colors of his birthmark leapt into life, the golden-like feathers expanded slightly and fluttered. Of course, he didn't know, but he was aware of something changing slightly.

He stayed that way for a long ten minutes. Kazuto barely moved his body as he lifted his head slightly and took a deep, slow breath. As much as he hated this part of his ceremony, he did it anyway. He sang softly, yet strong, steady, and melodic.

" _Fate may be harsh_   _and cruel_ ~," He began. The strands of magic started gather at the center of the spring as Kazuto's voice guided it. He could feel a pair of hands gently clutching his shoulders (and yes, there was no one else in there except himself) as support. He continued on.

" _But there may be a way~_

_To change the fated path~_

_Regret weighs heavily~_

_Hope dwindles out of reach~_

_Peace hidden behind lies~"_

As Kazuto finished the first verse of the song, he lifted his hands away from the surface and slowly raised them with his palms slowly turning upwards. The ribbon-like magic slipped out of the water as if to follow the Prince's hands. The hands on his shoulders gripped a little tighter and he could hear the familiar, warm, gentle voice of the Goddess whispering in his ears. A few of them began to circle around Kazuto as he easily eased his way into the second verse.

" _The agonies of time_

_A loss so heavy it cries_

_Roses wither away_

_A hope we long to have_

_A life we want to live_

_Promise of Tomorrows_

_Life is for the taking_

_Just as it is giving_ ~"

Kazuto's hands barely passed his head when it happened. The last note of the verse cracked horribly and terrifyingly so that the magic around him shattered. The hands were suddenly gone a split second later with a shrill scream of defiance following it. He literally felt like something ran him through from behind and twisted the blade in his chest. The prickly sensation of thousands of pins and needles washed over his body, drowning out any chance of thinking straight. A sudden rush of wind whipped past him and thrown him on his back at the water's edge. Gripping the sides of his head, he cried out as he felt himself slipping in and out of reality.

He could barely make sense of what in the world just happened to him. He snapped open his eyes and tried to focus on the glass-like particles of shattered magic flailing about in air. Twinges of purple streaks collided with white, killing his magic. But, Kazuto knew it wouldn't last long. Something other than Etra would always interfere on the Fifth Day, and drag him away.

"E-Etra!" Kazuto called out as he widened his eyes in vain attempt to not slip away from reality. Of course, he knew that Etra heard him, but she would never come to his aid because he also knew, she was being held back forcefully. "Etra!"

It was too late to hope for any help coming to his aid. He blinked once and reality was gone.

._._._._._.

_A small little child no older than four stumbled across the dark forest. He was a mess. He was covered in dirt from head to toe with minor cuts and scrapes, though he didn't seem to care. His raven eyes were wide with confusion and panic. Where did his Onii-chan go? Where did Yui-nii and Eugeo-nii go?_

_He felt so lonely without them, he just had to go and find them. What if they all got hurt?! If that was the case, then he'd better hurry. As the child ran, the trees danced, as if to tell him to don't go. He paused and looked up at the closest tree._

_"Oh, don't be silly! I'm not going back home without everyone! We're a fimily, and family should stay together!" the child told the tree. Despite his words, he really wanted to turn around and go home where it was warm. The air was getting colder and the flowers seemed to dim. The child lightly touched the petals of the flower and whispered reassuringly, "I'll be fine."_

_He felt a bit of doubt as he continued his trek through the forest, somehow finding it hard to take each step. A shadowed image of his older brother appeared in his mind's eye, reaching a warm hand to him. The child blinked and the image went away, revealing the end of the forest and a broken building in the middle of an open field just up ahead. He paused, hesitant to go on. He never left the forest, and they've always told him, never, ever, leave the safety of the trees._

_"But...Onii-chan and Yui-nii and Eugeo-nii might be there..." he said to himself. He sucked in a breath and took the first step. "I have to find them and bring them home!"_

_With determination, he left the forest. He walked across the field of bluebells and stopped at the entrance of the broken building. It was a lot bigger and scarier than he first thought it would be. An air of forbidding practically screamed at him. It took the child a few minutes, but he managed to gather enough courage to go inside. He could barely utter a word as he walked around. He found a door and debated whether or not to open it. His curiosity got the better of him and he opened the door._

_"Onii-" the child cut himself off at the scene before him. Blood splattered across the floor and stained it with its crimson color. He paused, staring at a tall man in shock. The sword in the man's hand was coated in red and gleamed at him. The child let his gaze drop to the still figure below the man. "-chan...?"_

._._._._._.

"I wonder how long His Highness will take today." Asuna said as she paced the width of the hallway. Just an hour ago, her Prince entered the Chamber of Springs as if the (very) early morning chaos never happened to begin with. She was quite frustrated when she saw the Prince smiling innocently with Prince Scary right next to him before Kazuto went in. Of course, Scary had his usual scowl on his face when the three gathered at the oak doors.

"Hmmm...I can't really say when his ceremony would end since I'm not from here, but it may be a little longer than yesterday's." he said as he stood in front of the double doors. His teal eyes were half-lidded with boredom. "...which means that my afternoon with my sister is out of the question."

Asuna stopped her pacing and stared at his back. At the tip of her tongue was a very casual question, but she stopped herself. Several times, she had to constantly remind herself that the teen before her was a Prince. No matter how casual she wanted to be, she couldn't be disrespectful. Instead, she reworded her question.

"Your Highness, if I may," she began politely. She took note of Prince Scary's small tilt of the head at the formality. "I have heard that every child in any Royal Family must perform a Purification Ceremony until they reach adulthood. All under the Goddess Etra's blessing. This also applies to Gale, does it not?"

Prince Scary inspected his bow in his hands, but didn't turn to look at her. "Well, it does. Since Gale is one of the three main Kingdoms, there are no 'if's, 'and's, or 'but's."

"You mean the three main kingdoms of the Cardinal." Asuna stated as she shifted her weight into her right leg and placed a hand at her waist. Prince Scary finally turned around and began to pace lazily as he tested the string of his bow, almost haphazardly.

"Yes. Aincrad, Gale, and Alfheim must all abide in that rule, but how it's done can be varied." he said. Asuna tilted her head.

"I suppose that means Aincrad's tradition is different from the others then." she said, placing a thoughtful hand at her chin.

"Yeah," Prince Scary sighed and lowered his bow to his side as he stopped pacing, "In Gale, there is a temple in the forest north of the castle. Just like Kazuto, I have to perform the ceremony a week before my birthday. Although..." he paused and looked at the grand doors with unease in his posture. "...I never had a day that lasted longer than seven hours. My sister, Sinon, is the same."

Asuna frowned slightly and looked at the doors. "...You seem a little more uptight than usual, Your Highness."

"Well, even though I'm a Prince from another kingdom, this is-Gah! Goddess-damn!" Scary cried as his slapped a hand over his burning birthmark. It came without warning; as if it was an attack. His bow in his hand slipped and clattered to the floor. He lost his composure and fell to one knee, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Your Highness!" Asuna was quick to come to his side. Even though he wasn't her Prince, she felt that she should help him anyway...well, if she could. Her hands lightly touched Scary's shoulders as she knelt in front of him. She nearly froze in surprise when his hand suddenly clutched her right forearm. His grip was strong, yet she could feel it weakening with each passing second. Confused, she took one look at his face and gaped. Though Scary's face was scrunched up in pain, he looked more like a child than the adult he portrayed. It made Asuna wonder made Prince Scary the Prince he was today.

"Please make it stop, make it stop...!" he whispered desperately, begging like a child. She quickly snapped out of her stupor and moved her hands to his cheek, cupping his face. He was sweating lightly and his cheeks were burning (not from embarrassment though). She had no idea what she was doing as she touched his forehead with hers.

"It's okay, it's okay," she said in a slightly shaky voice. She nearly cursed herself for sounding weak and strengthened her voice into a soothing tone when she felt Scary cringe. "Calm down, it'll go away soon, okay?"

She removed a hand and placed it gently over his on top of the birthmark. "Breathe, Scary, breathe."

Scary nodded slightly as he took a shaky breath and exhaled just as shakily. Asuna caught a glimpse of his arm and felt a surge of dread and frustration. The skin around their hands was angry red and slowly spreading. Poison. It looked like poison spreading through his body. She mentally cursed and focused on Scary.

"That's it, just hang on a bit longer." She suppressed a flinch when his grip in her arm tightened suddenly. Asuna pulled away when she looked into his dead serious teal eyes.

"K-Kazuto," he forced out as he pulled away from her. "G-get him out of there!"

"What-" Asuna began, but she couldn't even finish her thought. Scary pulled her up as he stood up, grabbing her hand. He stumbled over to the grand doors with Asuna's hand tight in his grip. He placed his other hand on the door and looked up.

"Goddess Etra! I, Prince of Gale, ask to enter the Chamber of Glass-I mean, Springs!" he yelled, mentally scolding himself at his mistake. Wrong chamber, idiot!

Luckily, the doors cracked and slammed open, shooting away from his hand. The ground shook at the sudden movements of the doors and Asuna struggled to keep them both up as a huge gust of wind nearly swept them off their feet. At the corners of their eyes, they could see faint strands of purple magic fading away. Scary crumbled to his knees and gripped Asuna's arms. His eyes were wide with urgency and a tiny hint of fear.

"Get your prince and get him out of there! Go! Now!" he exclaimed and practically shoved Asuna toward the door. She didn't need to be told twice as she turned on her heel and dashed inside the chamber. Her chestnut hair billowed behind her and her footfalls clanked off the walls. Fear and worry gripped her heart as she neared the end of the hall. Instead of being bright, the air began to feel darker and heavy to breathe. She gasped when the area suddenly opened up.

Tiny fuzz balls of magic floated around the spring's surface and strands of purple, black, and red circled around in both air and water. Asuna felt her eyes widen at the sight of her Prince. "My Prince!"

There, at the edge of the water, was Kazuto lying on his side half in the water unmoving. She rushed over to the water's edge and knelt on one knee. With careful hands, she pulled him out of the water completely. The teen didn't budge at her touch and he was completely drenched. Placing one arm behind his back, and one under his knees, she lifted the Prince up and held him close. It scared her how cold he was. He didn't even shiver. He was almost as cold as death itself.

._._._._._.

Scary bit the back of his lip to muffle a cry of pain as he watched Asuna hurry into the Chamber of Springs. His birthmark still burned and it felt like it was about to sever his arm from his body. He couldn't ignore the words that echoed in his head over and over, begging him.

**_"Please! Help him! My child, save him!"_ **

He shook his head and stood up, placing the pain at the back of his head. He could feel the twisting, dark aura he was very familiar with, but at the same time, sickened to the bone. Memories of fires and dying screams threatened to resurface. Gritting his teeth, he snatched up his bow and strung and arrow. He looked into the chamber and swallowed.

He was scared and nervous and he didn't even want to deny it. He could feel the despair and sorrow heavily laced in the air, which only heightened his dread.

"Come on, Scary. Stop being a baby and get in there!" he told himself. He steeled his nerves and gathered his courage. Before he had the chance to chicken out again, he hurried after Asuna, ignoring the heavy weight of the dark magic in the air. Once he reached the chamber, he could see Asuna carrying Kazuto in her arms with a dazed look on her face. He couldn't help but notice how small the younger Prince looked in her arms... and how ill. It was almost as if the Prince was dead.

"Don't just stand there! Get him out of here!" Scary snapped at Asuna. She seemed to wake up from her daze and give him a shocked look.

"R-right!"

Asuna ran past him as he pulled his arrow back and aimed for the center of the spring. He never done this before, but he was willing to give it a shot. As a human, he had no idea how to cast a spell, but everything that came next happened on its own. The tip of his arrow began to glow as he closed his eyes and spoke the words of another language entirely. He had no idea what in the whole he was saying. " _Spirit of the West, Ruler of Fall, guide my arrow to hit its mark. Lend me your strength! Byakko!_ "

Scary felt a surge of his energy flow from him and merge into his arrow. It glowed a bright light of white and honey gold before it went flying. He could've imagined it but he could've sworn he heard the roar of a tiger echo in his ears. He kept his position as it stopped short of his mark, creating a crack in the air. Everything was still for a second before the dark magic twisted in fury and began to either shatter or fade from existence.

'So, this...this is magic...?' he thought to himself. Scary released a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he felt the air clear into a pure, refreshing atmosphere. 'That's impossible! I am a human being! Unless...'

The waters were clear once more and the area eased into its originally lighting. For a moment, he feared that it was only a trick on his mind, but instantly shot it down when he heard the voice of the Goddess ring in his head.

**_"Thank you, child. You have done well, but be warned. This is only just the beginning of a greater trouble. Forgive me, child, but my hands are tied."_ **

Scary dropped his arms and nearly sighed in relief as his birthmark finally stopped burning, leaving behind a dull pain. Grimacing, he looked at it and winced. The used-to-be black lines of his birthmark were swollen and now a shade of dark blue. His skin around the marking was irritated and swelled slightly, ending just near his shoulder and elbow.

"Well, that sucks. It never gotten this bad before." he stated rather bluntly, trying to relax and go back to his normal self. "Now, I'll never hear the end of it from Sinon."

He took one look around the Chamber of Springs as he held his arm. "'This is only just the beginning of a greater trouble', huh?"

He scowled his usual scowl and turned around. He could worry about her words later. Right now, he had more important things to do.

._._._._._.

The King of Aincrad was worried. For the eleventh time in a row, Kazuto collapsed before he could finish the ceremony on the Fifth Day. Kazune tapped the tip of his feather pen on top of an empty parchment as he thought.

"Why does this keep happening? Eleven years and yet the same thing happens every single time. Why?" he asked, muttering to himself. As he began glare at the empty parchment, he was so lost in thought, he didn't even hear the door to his office open and close a second later.

"Your Majesty?" said a voice. Kazune scowled and held up a hand.

"Wait! I'm thinking here!" he snapped, not looking up. He tried to think of an explanation as to why these things keep happening to his son. No one has ever tried to kill Kazuto before until just recently. Was it because his son was turning sixteen? Or was it the fact that Kazuto was getting stronger without him even realizing it? What should he do next?!

After a good five minutes of complete silence, the King finally looked up. There, standing before him with a scowl on his face, was the Prince of Gale. The teen was clearly upset as he had his arms crossed over his chest and his skin was still clammy. Kazune hid a flinch when he spotted the birthmark. It was swollen with angry red skin around it, nearly affecting his whole upper arm. His teal eyes were sharp and serious, but Kazune can see the hints of exhaustion behind it all.

"You done?" Scary asked, not caring about being polite. Kazune quickly caught on to the fact that he wanted answers. And by the looks of it...there was no way he could sugar coat anything.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're here because of Kazuto." Kazune said, getting straight to the point. Scary shifted his weight to his right leg and gave him a look.

"Damn right, I am. What the hell just happened?!" Scary snapped. He glared at the king, uncrossing his arms and placing them on his hip. "A human like me should've never been able to use magic, and yet, just an hour ago, I used magic! And not just any magic; it was Byakko's magic! Explain that!"

Kazune took a moment to collect his thoughts as he sat up a bit straighter. He gestured to a comfy chair right in front of his desk with a calloused hand. "Scary, please. Sit. I would rather have you sitting than standing for this."

Scary gave him a weird look before shaking his head. "Whatever the hell this is, I can handle it."

The King of Aincrad sighed and allowed his shoulders to fall. "If you insist." He leaned back and regarded Scary with a frown. "Just as you have said, humans, like you and me, are not capable of using magic. In that aspect, Kazuto is the same."

"Are you just going to tell me things I already know?" Scary said, scowling. "I'm here for answers, not honey coated crap."

Kazune's eyes narrowed slightly. "Straight-forward, aren't you?" He paused to take a quick look around his office and stood up. "Promise me, Prince Scary, that what I tell you must not leave this room. You must absolutely not reveal this information to Kazuto until you think the time is right."

Scary stared at him for a moment, not really understanding the importance, but at least understanding the importance. "I promise."

"Good. I'll be blunt, and cut to the chase. Time is very short and I need you to listen very carefully. I am a seer, and I have seen a horrid future."

"Whoa! Wait, what?" Scary spluttered, losing his composure at the mention of the King being a seer. "A seer? But, you're a-"

"I know," Kazune interrupted, raising a hand to silence the teen. "I was born with the gift of Etra's eyes, and I was the only heir to inherit the throne. All of my siblings died to unfortunate accidents that were of other's doings. But, enough about me."

Without missing a beat, Kazune briskly walked to his bookshelf and pulled out a book with practiced ease. Scary watched with confused eyes as the King opened the book to a page and handed it to the Prince.

He took it with a slight bit of hesitation and looked at the page's contents, rotating the book right side up. There, on the page, were the drawings of three different crests. He quickly spotted his own mark and read the caption underneath: " **Rose's Peace** ". Next to his was a cluster of different shapes. It had three tear shapes clustered like a flower. A pair of wings nearly touched the tear drops, one on each side with two leaves lining its sides. At the bottom was another tear drop. In its center was a flame shape. Between the feathers and leaves on either side, were colored in triangles. At the very bottom were three seemingly random marks. Underneath were the words: " **Hope's Tears** ". And lastly was a drawing of a series of swirls that shaped a half decaying clock. It twisted as if in agony. Scary nearly winced at the name at the bottom: " **Time's Regret** ".

He looked up at the King. "Okay, why show me this?"

"First, have you heard of the story about a child that was accused of being a demon?" Kazune asked. Scary's eyes widened slightly.

"...You mean Kirito? The Black Swordsman...?" he asked hesitantly. Kazune nodded.

"Yes, that's the one." he confirmed.

"Kazuto told me quick, shortened version of it." Scary said, slowly feeling a sense of dread as the King's eyes blinked in surprise. He went on. "About how he was human who could restore things to its original state, I believe. I don't know how or why he died. Only the theories of how the child could still be alive...or dead."

"...My son told you this story?" Kazune asked, a bit skeptical.

"Yes, just earlier this morning." Scary confirmed. The King of Aincrad hummed. Of course, Kazuto would tell Scary that. If anything, Kazuto only told him on a whim.

"I see... then I suppose that makes everything a bit easier." he said. He gave Scary a worried look. "Kirito was nineteen at the time when he 'died'-" (he did air quotes here) "-nearly a thousand years ago. It was foretold, by his little brother himself that the Black Swordsman will return from the Realm of the Dreams. Once the three traits that reflect the Restorer's Heart are present, he will be released from his curse."

"Wait, what? Curse? Okay, seriously, what the hell does this have to do with Kazuto and all this crazy crap that happened this morning?" Scary asked, wanting him to get to the point.

"That I cannot tell you." Kazune said.

"Then why did-" Scary began, but the King was quick to cut him off.

"You will find out in time, but right now. I need your help. In three days' time, a horror will wreck everything you once knew. I need you to do everything in your power to do what must be done."

The Prince paused and gave him a look of shock, slowing coming to an understanding of what's going on. "The Masquerade Ball... You're telling me that there's going to be an attack?"

The King nodded once with certainty. "Yes. I had seen the many bodies slain, and felt the heat of the burning fires. Scary, help me change that and give me a future that bears no more suffering."

He held out a hand to the teen for him to accept. Scary stared at the hand with shock and realization.

"But...Sinon, and Gale..." He looked up at the king. "What would happen to them?"

"I do not know, child, but know this, everything that I have told you must be taken into memory. Remember it well."

Scary stared at the offered hand once more and chewed on his bottom lip in thought. Everything he just learned today: the images of the markings and their names, the mention of the Restorer's Return, and the Masquerade Ball. Were the markings that important? Was it a bad think that the Restorer would return from a curse? Or was the Restorer, Kirito, really dead and this was just a lie passed down for centuries? He didn't know what in the world the King of Aincrad wanted him to do, but he could, at the very least, try to help with something.

"...Alright." He said finally, "but only if you promise me that Sinon will come out of this alive."

Kazune stared at him. "I will not make a promise I know I'll never keep. That depends entirely on you."

Scary scowled. Goddess-damn it all. "Then-"

"You'll be fine. Both of you will." The King assured with a smile.

"...Goddess-damn." Scary cursed as he took the king's hand, sealing his agreement to help. It was then that he knew that there was a huge possibility that things...just gotten worse for not only him, but for the Prince of Aincrad as well.

._._._._._.

**~The Evening of the Fifth Day of Ash Tree~**

The cool night air brought relief to Kazuto as he leaned against the railing of the balcony. Just faintly, he could hear the joyful, upbeat music playing from the dining hall not too far away. He felt a little jealous, but there was nothing he really could do. It didn't help the fact that he just woke up an hour ago. The Prince sighed and bowed his head to his crossed arms, feeling slightly feverish.

"I hate the Fifth Day." He muttered to himself. He could still feel the lingering bits of pain in his marking and the uneasy feeling that something wasn't right. He scoffed at the thought and stood up straight, looking up at the stars.

Images of a small child that looked eerily like him flashed in his mind's eye. Out of the eleven years it had happened to him, this was the first time he had seen something unrelated to a Faerie. That child couldn't have been no older than four; a child just learning about the basics of things. Kazuto closed his eyes.

A child as young as that should've never seen such a gory scene. He could remember how much red coated everything. It stained not only clothes and metal, but also the stone and the grass. The scent of iron was so strong; he couldn't believe that it was blood and not a blacksmith's iron. Kazuto placed a shaking hand to his mouth and held back the urge to gag.

How could a dead person have such an innocent smile on their face? How in the world did that happen? Who was the man who murdered the child's brother?

Kazuto gulped heavily as he turned on his heel and hurried back into his room, fighting the sickening feeling of dread that threatened to overpower him. He flopped back into his comfy bed and curled up underneath the covers. He hated this. He had absolutely no control over anything. He knew there was something odd about himself.

He knew it since the day he became Kirito. The moment he held a sword he knew he could not kill. Even if he wanted to, something was there to hold him back.

"What the heck is going on...?" he muttered to no one. For a split moment, he felt his heart lurch in fear.

In fear of himself.

._._._._._.

The next few days passed without any more problems (and no pranks shockingly) and Kazuto's ceremonies no longer ended past noon, shocking the two "Appointed". Scary covered up his birthmark with a bandage, and by the Goddess... He was forced to stay up well into the morning listening to Sinon scolding him about hiding things from her. Asuna wasn't surprised to see the Prince dozing off while on the job the very next day. She was also very shocked by the request that Scary asked of her that morning.

It was quite...immoral, but rather...amusing.  _Highly_  amusing.

._._._._._.

**~The Noon of the Seventh Day of Ash Tree~**

"...I'm starting to have second thoughts about this, Scary." Asuna said, voicing her uneasiness. Scary had his arms crossed with his usual scowl, but she could see the faint hint of nervousness in his eyes. Both of them were waiting for Kazuto to come out of the Chamber of Springs and already they were beginning to lose their nerve.

"You aren't the only one." he assured her. He looked at anything but her. "Honestly, what is your king thinking? Making me of all people do this!"

Asuna laughed nervously and shrugged her shoulders. "Ahahaha...I am slightly more worried by the very fact that he suggested this."

Scary uncrossed his arms and placed a hand at his hip. "Ugh, this is pissing me off just thinking about it!"

The Sub Leader/Commander allowed her tense shoulders to fall limp with a sigh. "Well, it is a masquerade ball..."

"Why did I even agree to this?!" Scary finally snapped. Just then, the double doors cracked open and Kazuto strolled out with a confused expression on his face.

"Agree to what exactly?" he asked. Scary suddenly looked like a frightened rabbit before quickly regaining his composure.

"The very fact that I decided to help with the preparations for tonight's ball!" Scary said, not lying at all. Asuna was amazed that he was able to stay calm....ish. Kazuto pressed his lips together in a tight frown.

"Hmm...What did my father do this time?" he asked, almost hesitantly.

"...heh."

._._.(I'm not evil. Nope, not at all. :D)._._.

"By the... Goddess," Scary said as he took a step back and blinked in surprise, "You...you're...Damn, I just hope nothing perverted happens to you."

Kazuto's face flushed bright red as he struggled to keep his voice leveled. "E-exactly...how the  _hell_  is this supposed to Goddess-damn help me...?"

Asuna smirked as she shrugged. "Well, your father did say that it was a Masquerade Ball. Besides it was the most easiest way to hide you from the people and Faeries alike. It's a good thing that you have a feminine face...and you were slim enough, too."

Did anyone ever mention that his parents were all for it, too?

Scary just shrugged and moved to one end of the room to retrieve something. Meanwhile, Kazuto bit his lip as he looked over his shoulder to see the mirror. He froze when he saw a long, black haired girl with a flustered look staring right back at him. He watched as the girl's expression fell into absolute shock. "You...have...got to be kidding me."

He turned around to fully face the full body mirror. The dress itself was a laced corset like dress with a soft hue of ocean blue as the main color. Laces of white ribbons outlined the details of the dress. His arms were covered with thin sheets of sheer, flimsy at the ends. The skirt of the dress grazed the floor and Kazuto felt a tiny bit of relief. At least he wasn't showing off anything. As an added plus, he just looked like a flat chested girl. A very  _pretty_  flat chested girl.

White ribbons were tied elegantly in his hair, pulling half of it up in a loose yet fashionable style. Asuna stood behind him with little blue roses and soft white feathers, gently adding them in with a smile.

"There," she said as she secured the last one, "you're almost done!"

Kazuto buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to kill you guys one day."

Scary stood next to him with a wooden box in his hands. "Kill your father. He was the one who came up with the idea. He chose the dress, too."

Asuna took hold off the box and allowed Scary to open it. The Prince of Gale carefully removed the contents and stood in front of Kazuto.

"Oi, raise your head. We just need to add one last thing and we can head to the Grand Hall. The ball starts in half an hour." Scary said with a blunt voice. Kazuto groaned in frustration and lifted his head with a heavy sigh.

"What? Are you going to give me a prep talk before-whoa. That's..." Kazuto trailed off when his eyes caught the item in Scary's hands. A stunning, white feathery mask had small glass gems gleaming brightly in the evening sunlight. Kazuto suddenly remembered who was going to wear it. "-a shockingly pretty mask for a  **guy**."

Asuna closed the box and placed it on top of a nearby dresser with a smile. "Well, you'll only be wearing it for the first half of the night, alright? Besides, Her Majesty picked out a boy's attire for you with Princess Suguha's help."

Kazuto couldn't answer when Scary placed the mask on his face and tied the black stings together. "But, don't tell your father. If he finds out, we're screwed."

Closing his midnight blue eyes, Kazuto pressed his lips together in defeat. At least he could be a boy again later. Hopefully, he could also get some privacy at that time. Earlier, Scary and Asuna dragged him all the way to his room back in the tower and took most of the afternoon dressing him up. It wasn't supposed to take that long, but Kazuto was difficult. Shockingly, Asuna wasn't the one to force him into the dress, but rather...Scary did. The Prince of Aincrad reopened his eyes as he perked up.

"Oh, come to think of it..." He turned around to see a straight faced Scary. He had a curious smile on his face as he asked. "How did you know how to put on a dress? Don't tell me you had to dress up like a girl to."

Immediately, Scary's face flushed red in embarrassment and anger and he took several steps back in shock. "Absolutely not!"

"Oh? Your actions are saying otherwise." Asuna pitched in, placing a hand at her hip. Scary glared at her and clenched his hands at his side.

"I didn't! I swear!" he snapped. Kazuto placed a disbelieving hand at his hip.

"No, you really must've. You're just too embarrassed to admit it." he deadpanned.

"I DID NOT!"

"Did too!" Asuna argued with her arms crossed.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did-"

Kazuto chuckled to himself as the two quickly went into the childish blaming game. He heard a soft knock on the door and Morgan's familiar voice.

"Your Highness, I brought fruits to munch on!"

He turned away from the two (who were completely into their argument) and unlocked his door. He didn't show his face and allowed the boy to waltz right in with a tray of freshly sliced fruits. Morgan placed the tray down and instantly recognized his prince.

"Wow. Did someone curse you or something?" he asked with childish curiosity. Kazuto couldn't help but laugh at the child and swat down to his height, the multiple layers of the skirt of his dress spread out around him.

"Actually, I'm just wearing this for now. It's..." Kazuto trailed off, searching for a good explanation that wouldn't make his father sound bad. "...ah... a disguise to go to the ball tonight. You know, can't let anyone know that I'm a Prince, right Morgan?"

"Oh cool! It sounds just like a game! I wonder if anyone is gonna-" Morgan began but cut himself off as he spotted the two teens in their heated argument. He turned to Kazuto with an innocent look of confusion. "Are they having a lover's spat?"

._._._._._.

**~The Masquerade Ball~**

Sinon was amazed. The moment she stepped into the ballroom, she was enthralled by the magnificent elegancy of it all. Silk banners of warm white were swaying slightly with its ends attached to the high ceiling. Chandeliers of candles had several amounts of clear gems of various sizes dangling down, lighting the entirety of the hall. The hall was decorated with silver and crystal. She was amazed by the drastic differences of her country with Aincrad. Although gold was the main theme to most things in Gale, Aincrad was rich in silver and crystals.

Over the course of last week, she had spent her days enjoying the festival both in and out of the castle. Princess Suguha accompanied her throughout the week, giving her short but very informative things about Aincrad; like how things are normally done on a daily basis and such.

Of course, she even heard about the rumors of a certain swordsman donned in black. It made her wonder why a person as skillful as him would only appear in the dark. If anything, it made him sound like a coward than a brave swordsman.

The Princess of Gale felt a bit nervous. No, she wasn't nervous about the ball or anything. In fact, she was worried about her brother. The only times she had seen him was in the evenings and at the parties. She could tell that something was up, but she decided that it was better to keep quiet. Well...other than the fact that she scolded him for a good portion of the night on the Fifth of Ash Tree.

"Sinon!" called a very familiar voice. The teal haired Princess blinked for a second and spotted a girl wearing a pink dress and a feathery mask to match it in the crowd waving at her. She immediately recognized her. Sinon placed a smile on her face and easily slipped through the mass of people.

"It's pretty crowded tonight." she said as she reached Suguha's side. The other Princess smiled.

"It sure is! Usually there isn't this many people, but this year is different. Instead the whole country was invited." Suguha said near her ear to be heard over the classical music and the chattering of people. Sinon brush a small lock of hair behind her ear as she searched the crowd for her brother. It was a little hard to see through her own mask (which was a lovely lavender and tiny gemstones decorating the edges), but she could learn to manage it.

"Though, I must say. I never expected to see this many Faeries all at once!" she said. She spotted about several different colors of thin wings, but to her surprise, none of them were white.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing." She agreed. She looked around and spotted the Queen of Aincrad signaling her to come. Suguha tapped Sinon's shoulder and gave her an apologizing smile. "Sorry, but my mother is calling for me. Remember to have fun, okay?"

Without even waiting for her reply, she took off in the direction of the Queen. Sinon blinked after her, feeling a slight hint of jealousy at the mention of the Queen. For a moment there, she wished that she still had her mother around. Shaking her head, Sinon refocused her efforts into looking for her brother.

Her eyes scanned the crowd once more and saw nothing that immediately caught her eye. After a full five minutes of just standing there, she gave up and made her way to one of the open balconies. She gave a relieved sigh as a refreshing cool breeze swept by her, easing her thoughts for a moment.

Just then, something caught her eye. There, leaning against the railing, was a really lovely long, black haired girl. The girl's hair was half up and half down with adorable little blue roses and feathers in it. Her dress was a fitting color for her and it made Sinon wonder where the girl came from. She admired the white feathery mask that adorned her face. Simply put, the girl before her was pretty, beautiful even. Well, she would've looked even nicer if she didn't have such a frown on her face.

"Good evening," Sinon said as she approached her. The girl jolted for a moment, as if waking from a trance and stared at the Princess with a look of surprise. She only stared as her frown deepened, not saying a word.

"Is something the matter?" Sinon asked politely, tilting her head slightly to the left. The girl hesitated for a moment before answering her.

"...No." came the short answer. Sinon gave her a look.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that. You should be smiling! I mean, you're at a ball after all!" she said with a smile, emphasizing her words with her hands. The girl bit her lip and placed her hands behind her back, no doubt wringing them out of nervousness.

"I...I don't like crowds." she said, slowing inching away from the Princess with a forced smile. Sinon shook her head in disapproval.

"Oh, that's it. Come on, you're coming with me whether you like it or not!" she said, grabbing the girl's arm and forced her to come with her. The girl stumbled after her, suddenly spluttering refusals.

"No! Wait! I'm serious! Please, stop!" Sinon only laughed as she gave her a glance over her shoulder.

"I'm Sinon, you are?"

"Ah-Kazu-Kazumi!" the girl stammered. Sinon suddenly stopped and gave her the brightest smile she could manage.

"Tonight, Kazumi, you are going to have the time of your life!" she said. Of course, Sinon missed the look of dreaded terror on "Kazumi" face as she dragged the poor "girl" into the ballroom. After all, what kind of Princess would she be if she ignored a girl her age in distress?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooope you liked it.


	13. Mascarade Massacre

Scary gritted his teeth as he caught himself messing with the rims of his folded sleeves for the fifth time. Normally, he was never this nervous, or antsy about anything, but he was. His mark was still slightly swollen and it ached horribly. His body felt cold and nearly unbearable. He tried his hardest to ignore the stares of not only Kazune's, but also Oberon's. It was highly unnerving and uncomfortable to have the attention of  _both_  kings. He felt someone tap his shoulder.

"What?" he snapped harshly, turning his head to glare at that someone. A brown-haired girl with a white and crimson mask was taken aback for a moment before giving him a tight frown.

"You're unusually snappy tonight." the girl said. Scary immediately recognized her voice. He placed a hand on his hip and scowled at her.

"And you look absolutely awkward without your uniform, The Flash." he retorted. Asuna's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Where did you pick that up from?" she demanded.

Scary just humphed as he shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "Why do you care? It's your title, isn't it?" Asuna scowled as he continued. "By the way, aren't you supposed to watching 'Kazumi'?"

Asuna turned her head away and crossed her gloved arms with a huff. "I was, but 'she' was dragged in here with Princess Sinon."

Scary widened his eyes as he took in her words. "...I'm sorry, but did you just say that my sister just took Kazut-I mean, 'Kazumi' and dragged hi- _her_  in here?"

The swordswoman held out a hand in the Princess's direction. "Well, see for yourself, Your Highness."

Scary followed her hand and paled when he saw Kazumi being introduced to a Faerie with blue-green wings by a familiar teal-haired girl. He could clearly see that Kazumi was trying 'her' hardest not to cry. His sister completely ignored Kazumi's reaction as she cheerfully said something.

"By the..." Scary began. His eyes widened as 'Kazumi' was taken by the noble and led to the dance floor. Immediately, Scary grabbed Asuna's hand and pulled her with him.

"Whoa! Hey!" Asuna exclaimed as she was dragged to the dance floor. "I don't know how to dance!"

"Unless you want to deal with an extremely pissed off Kazuto later, then Goddess-damn grin and bear it. Now, shut up, and follow my lead." Scary muttered. Asuna gasped when Scary smoothly pulled her into the circle formation and settled into the beat nicely. She blushed furiously at the closeness between her and the Prince. Several times, she nearly stepped on his foot, but the Prince was careful to avoid the missteps with ease.

Asuna glared at him through her blush, "Why do you know how to dance so well with an amateur like me?"

She almost regretted the question when dread crossed his face faster than she could blink. "Lots, and lots, and lots of deadly practice."

"Eh?"

Scary forced a smile that made Asuna flinch. The Prince of Gale was obviously bad at smiling. Asuna couldn't help but wonder how many children he would scare off with that expression. "Let's just say I had way too many suitors."

"...Okay, now my interest is piqued. What?"

*Stomp!*

"Ow!" Scary cringed as Asuna's heel dug into his shoe. Asuna looked down in surprise.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized as she watched their feet. She was amazed that Scary kept going without missing a single beat in the festive song...considering the dent she left in his shoe.

"By the Goddess, Asuna, you're stronger than any normal woman...!" Scary hissed as he kept leading the way.

"Ahahaha, well, I am the Sub-Commander for a reason, Your Highness." Asuna muttered with a sheepish laugh. The music began to crescendo and Scary twirled Asuna with a tiny bit of difficulty. Asuna nearly lost herself to the music as she followed Scary's lead until his voice surprised her.

"We're switching partners." he said rather bluntly. She blinked at him.

"Wait, what? What to do you-" she began to ask, but she was cut off.

"In this dance, we have to switch partners. That's why we're in a Goddess-damn circle, Asuna." Scary quickly explained. "When I switch you, just follow your partner's lead and you won't look like a fool."

"Hold on, Your-" she didn't finish as the Prince twirled her once more and released her hand.

"Have fun!" Asuna barely had the chance to snap at him when she felt someone else take her hands and swept her into the dance. She panicked and looked at her new dance partner in surprise. The man was two and a half heads taller than her with a grey, elegant wolf-like mask. She looked into the mask and took note of the dark, piercing pair of eyes. Immediately, she recognized the man's eyes behind the mask.

"Kuradeel." She hissed in distain. Kuradeel only smiled, sending a cold shiver down her back. Dread began to fill her as he forcefully kept her moving to the beat of the song.

"Good evening, Asuna." He greeted, politely. "I hope you're enjoying yourself this fine night."

"Ahaha...wouldn't miss it for the world." she answered with a feigned smile. Kuradeel's smile only turned creepier.

"Yes...It will certainly be a night neither of us will ever forget."

Asuna felt like she was hit with a wave of freezing water and couldn't breathe. Her skin paled and sweat appeared on her face. She wanted to pull away but Kuradeel's grip on her waist was firm. A nipping cold fear pricked at her consciousness, sending warning signals throughout her body. Something bad was about to happen; something horribly terrifying. For a moment, she wanted to tear herself away from him, but Scary's words echoed in her head.

_"-Goddess-damn grin and bear it."_

Gathering her courage, she managed a convincing smile and continued to "follow" Kuradeel's lead.

*STOMP!*

*CRUNCH*

"GURK."

Asuna held back an outburst of laughter as she happily watched Kuradeel's smile turn into a hilarious twist of agony. It relieved her immensely when the cold moment vanished completely. She giggled at the now wobbling Knight before her.

"Ahahaha....Whoopsie. My bad."

For a moment there she saw a glimpse of fear in Kuradeel's eyes. She smiled innocently. "Payback is a witch isn't it, Ku-ra-deel."

Now she was definitely sure he was scared of her.

._._._._._.

Kazuto wanted to cry. He really wanted to. He wanted to ditch his dance partner. He wanted to go to his room and never see the light of day again. He wanted to strangle his father for the idea. He wanted to backhand Scary for forcing him into this dress. He wanted to forever avoid Asuna.

"Are you alright, milady?"

And most of all, he wanted to cry.

"Y-yes. Just a bit tired." Kazuto answered with a slight bow of his head. The Faerie before him smiled politely as he twirled Kazuto around once.

"Forgive me for suddenly asking for your hand to dance with me. I just wanted to know what it feels like to dance with a human." the Faerie said. Kazuto forced a smile.

"Is that so?" he muttered before looking up, "You should've chosen a different dance partner."

The Faerie shook his head, making his long, light blue hair sway with him. "I'll have to disagree with you there, milady. In fact, you are the perfect partner."

Kazuto nearly faltered but managed to keep a cool demeanor. "I'm sorry, but what makes me the 'perfect partner' you claim I am?"

The Faerie suddenly grinned, making his wind-like mask seem a bit out of place. "My dear, the way you move gracefully with me proves that you are no ordinary woman. Your posture is befitting for a royal. Your hands are soft, yet it tells me of the battles you fought, and your eyes remind me of a beautiful Faerie...just like Queen Titania."

Kazuto blinked in surprise as he quickly averted his eyes. "Queen Titania?"

"Yes. It's almost as if I was staring at her child." The Faerie said. Kazuto shook his head.

"Ridiculous. I'm not a Faerie, sir. Or a royal one at that." he said, nearly scoffing at the thought. There was no way he could be the son of a Faerie!

...Right?

"Either way, your actions prove that you are a noble, even a princess...or, as I should put it, a prince." The Faerie said with a low voice.

Shock stiffened Kazuto's movements drastically, but the Faerie was quick to keep them moving. Kazuto looked up at the Faerie with wide, wary eyes.

"W-who are you?" he stammered. The Faerie smiled.

"I am Chrysheight, an Undine Faerie. I do wish you well, Your Highness. I pray to the Goddess you will survive tonight." Chrysheight said with a knowing smile. Kazuto gasped when he was suddenly released. Not even a second later, another hand took his and pulled him into the dance. He gritted his teeth as he forced a smile to his newest partner.

"Lord Adan." Kazuto addressed politely. The man with a maroon, feathery mask before him gave him a warm smile.

"Well, I didn't realize there was someone who could see through my mask." he said with amusement in his voice. Kazuto managed a sheepish laugh as he clamped his mouth shut. He forced himself to continue the dance as Lord Adan began to rant about his successes and such. By the Goddess, he even began to flirt with him! In all honesty, Kazuto wanted to kick him to shut him up.

Relief washed over him when they had to switch partners yet again, but the dread came faster at the thought of who would be his next partner. Once Lord Adan twirled him toward his new partner, Kazuto closed his eyes and prayed for the dance to end.

"Finally!" breathed a familiar voice. Kazuto snapped his eyes opened and immediately recognized the teal hair and eyes to the man before him. The mask that adorned the man's face seemed to make his appearance... less scary.

"Scary!" he half-cried. A few heads turned confusion as Scary scowled.

"Shut up, not so loud!" he whisper yelled. Kazuto bowed his head a bit.

"Sorry!" he quickly apologized. Scary shook his head and looked around.

"Okay, let's go."

Kazuto looked up in confusion. "Eh?"

"I'm getting you out of here right about..." He trailed off as he twirled Kazuto around. "Now."

Kazuto barely had the chance to say anything as Scary gracefully pulled him out of the dance with ease. The Prince of Gale held his hand as he pushed through the crowd and made it to the balcony. A burst of fresh air and a leap of freedom caused Kazuto to stumble over his steps. Scary only tightened his grip and steadied the other Prince.

"By the Goddess!" Kazuto cried as he torn his hand away from Scary and bent over, his hands holding his knees. His heart kept beating chaotically in his chest, making it hard to breathe. "I am never..." *huff* "Ever!" *huff* "Doing this again...!"

Scary heaved a heavy sigh and placed a hand on his hip. "I am never, ever dancing with that woman again."

"Who? Me?" Kazuto gasped as he struggled to calm his heart. Scary glared at him.

"No! Your freaking bodyguard! She's horrible..." he shuddered, remembering the pain in his foot. "Never again."

Kazuto placed a hand over his heart and straightened a bit. "Is an hour over already...?"

Scary shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the crescent moon above. "About. Let's get you dressed before something weird happens again."

"I swear, I'll prank Father with the most humiliating prank I could think of! That'll make him think twice about throwing me into a dress." Kazuto muttered under his breath. He grabbed a side of his skirt with his hands, lifting them up as he practically stomped away. To Scary, he just looked like an unhappy princess. The other Prince didn't have any trouble keeping up, taking long strides to match the pace. He didn't bother to interrupt Kazuto from his excessive ranting. He found it rather amusing how he'll find a way to dump warm candle wax inside the King's books, coat honey on all of the feather pens, replace the ink in the ink jar with strawberry jam, and put glue on every single stamp. Scary couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the King.

"Note to self, don't ever piss off Kazuto." he muttered under his breath. Kazuto snapped his head in his direction with a glare.

"What was that?!"

Scary faltered a tiny bit in his step and grinned his usual grin (which was a bit creepy) to cover up his mistake. "The night is pretty tonight."

It took a while, but the two princes managed to get to the Western Tower with barely any interruptions or without any one following them. Kirito almost immediately slipped into his room, completely eager to get out of the dress. Scary held a chuckle and stood outside to wait for him.

Not even a minute later, Kazuto peeked his head out of the corner of his door with a blushing scowl on his face. "Um...I can't get out of the dress... it's...I don't know how to take it off."

Scary stared at him for a second before laughing, clutching the sides of his stomach. He was shaking so much that his mask nearly fell off. "Hahaha! Oh, right! Of course not, hahaha! Oh, Goddess-damn! My sides hurt...!"

._._._._.

After an embarrassing half hour of getting dressed in the boy's attire for the party, Kazuto pressed his lips together in a thin line as he adjusted the black, feathery mask on his face. Scary stood behind him to tie the string, securing the mask.

The Prince of Aincrad wore colors of the night, nearly matching his attire as Kirito. His overcoat was a dark shade of blue, nearly black, outlined by silver grey. Although, underneath the overcoat, he wore a plain, cream-colored button-up shirt. He didn't know why, but Scary insisted he should saying, "It's comfortable, now shut up."

Kazuto's pants were slack-like and were ironed to look formal. He took note that the material was different from what he was used to. It wasn't as silk-like as his normal ones. His confusion grew when he slipped on dark grey gloves, only to have Scary hold out a pair of black fingerless gloves.

"What are-" Kazuto never finished his sentence.

"Put these in your pocket. Not your coat. Your pant packet." Scary instructed with a blunt voice. Kazuto gave him a look of suspicion as he did what he was told.

"Why?" he asked. Scary didn't answer as he looked at the mirror. Kazuto followed his gaze and tilted his head. The Prince of Gale seemed to be looking at the mirror, but not actually at him. In fact, he seemed to be looking at something behind them. Kazuto turned to look over his shoulder and found nothing but his room gently lit by a candle from his desk. He looked back at the mirror to see Scary frowning.

"Hey, Kazuto..." Scary began almost hesitantly as he adjusted Kazuto's slightly crooked coat. "You never left this castle, right?"

Kazuto turned away from the mirror to look up at him, debating whether to tell him that he did a few times or not. He settled for the latter "Well...no, I haven't. I was never allowed to leave the castle gates."

Scary stopped fiddling at Kazuto's collar pointlessly and took a step back, not really looking at him. "Did you ever wish to see the world outside?"

"Eh? Why?" Kazuto asked.

"Just answer the question." Scary snapped harshly. Kazuto flinched at the tone, not missing the flash of guilt in the other Prince's eyes.

"Okay, okay, geez! Yes, I do." he answered, slightly glaring at Scary. "But, I was told by Father I mustn't go. I'm not...'strong' enough, so to say. I don't understand why... do you?"

Scary narrowed his eyes. "...No."

"Why are you asking me those questions anyway? Is something about to happen?" Kazuto asked, tilting his head. The other Prince shrugged his shoulders a little too carelessly.

"Just curious." came his answer. Immediately, Kazuto knew he was lying. He didn't know how, but he just did. Scary had his gaze averted and his hands were moving too much, clenching and unclenching. Suddenly, he grabbed Kazuto's shoulder and shoved him toward the door. "Don't just stand there! Get your arse moving so we can hurry up and get this night done and over with."

Kazuto stumbled a few steps before turning to face him with a glare. "Hey! You didn't have to push me!"

Scary huffed and crossed his arms, striding past him with his usual scowl. "Then hurry up,  _princess_."

Kazuto felt his jaw drop and his eyes widened. He gritted his teeth and hurried after him. Right when he walked out the door, Kazuto kicked Scary in the shin with his black leather boot.

*Kick*

"Ow! What the hell is your problem?!" Scary snapped limping slightly, more out of surprise that Kazuto could actually kick than the pain.

"What the hell is yours?! I am  ** _not_**  a Goddess-damn princess!"

Scary shook his head and sighed. "Oh, crap. I almost forgot. Happy Sixteenth Birthday, Kazuto."

The Prince of Aincrad stopped for a moment and stared at Scary in surprise. Did that grumpy Prince just wish him happy birthday...? Scary turned around and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, tapping his foot impatiently.

"What? You coming or are you so shocked you can't even breathe?" Scary joked with a scoff in the tone of his voice. Kazuto couldn't help but grin at him.

"Actually...thanks, Scary."

Kazuto didn't miss the look of regret flash across the other Prince's face before it was covered up with a smirk.

"Come on, we don't have all night,  _princess_." Scary jabbed one last time. Before Kazuto even registered what he said, Scary took off, already halfway down the steps. Kazuto's jaw fell three seconds later.

"I am  **not**  a  _princess_ , damn it!"

._._._._._.

About ten minutes of frustration from both Princes and a walk to the ball room, they finally made it back.

"Ah, I see you've changed already." Asuna said when she spotted them near the abnormally large doors to the Central Garden.

"Of course, I did!" Kazuto said, frowning. "I don't understand how women can wear those things."

"It's a matter of being presentable," Scary answered with a hand placed in his side. Asuna held back a small laugh and decided to change the topic a bit.

"You boys took a while. Princess Suguha was beginning to worry that you would never show." She said, looking at Kazuto.

"That stupid thing was ridiculously hard to get out of." he answered quite bluntly, crossing his arms. He looked toward the head of the room and spotted his father smiling warmly at him with a small nod of acknowledgement. Kazuto had the sudden urge to run to his father's study to set up a prank, but he stuffed it down and forced himself to smile back.

"Oh," Asuna perked up a bit, "I wasn't able to say it earlier since I never saw the chance."

"What?" Kazuto asked her. She smiled happily and tilted her head slightly.

"Happy Birthday, Kazuto." She wished him. Kazuto blinked for a second before returning the smile with his own.

"Thank you, Asuna." For that moment, Kazuto felt at ease with the two teens.

"So, now that you can enjoy the party normally," Scary began coolly, "go and dance with a girl or something."

Kazuto could hardly believe Scary as he looked at him incredulously. "What?"

Asuna gave him a questioning look. The Prince of Gale silently answered her question with a quick glance at the open door near them. She followed his gaze and caught a dark figure cloaked in red before it turned away. Eyes widening slightly, she quickly turned her attention to Kazuto with a smile.

"Come and dance with me!" she said, causing him to look at her with unease.

"But, Scary said-" he was cut off when Asuna muttered a quick apology before grabbing his hand.

"Let's go!" she said happily, pulling him away from Scary gently. The other Prince allowed a tiny smirk before raising a hand.

"Have fun." He said. Kazuto's eyes widened as he hopelessly followed Asuna.

Scary watched them blend into the slow dance with a bit of difficulty. He wished the joyful, happy atmosphere would last a bit longer. His gaze slowly found itself on his little sister, who chatted happily with the Princess of Aincrad. He gave a ghost of a smile at her. In Gale, Sinon barely made any friends and usually glued herself to him side. Just seeing her chatting excitedly with the other Princess made him feel...relieved.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he leaned against the wall and allowed himself to wander a bit. A cold presence stood right next to him. It didn't feel crude, but rather...relaxing, as strange as it sounded. He looked at the spirit that stood next to him and felt his eyes widen slightly. The spirit's long, rose-pink hair seemed to flow in a breeze that was non-existent. Her midnight eyes were full of pain and silent understanding. Her skin was pale, making it hard for him to actually "see" her. Her white, loose-like dress gave her an ethereal aura. The tips of her pure white wings twitched slightly. She smiled a soft, sorrowful smile.

 _ **"It's nearly time, *****."**  _She said to him. He stared at her for a moment, trying to recall where he heard her voice before. He bit the back of his lip as the Fifth Day of the Purification Ceremony came rushing back.

_"Please! Help him! My child, save him!"_

"I recognize your voice, but you are not the Goddess. Who are you?" He asked. The spirit's eyes dropped a bit, but the smile stayed.

 ** _"Oh, I am sure you already know."_  **She said. She gave him a look of seriousness.  ** _"I do not have a lot of time, but please. What comes next will be a painful ordeal for my child...and for you. Stay strong for not only for others, but for my child as well. Do not let anger take over your heart and stay true to what you know you must do, *****."_**

Scary felt his jaw slacken in surprise when he suddenly realized just who the spirit really was. "By the-"

He couldn't stop himself from blinking in shock and he cursed himself for doing so. The spirit was no longer there. Feeling a bit unsettled, he turned his gaze to the King of Aincrad. For a brief moment, Kazune gave him the slightest of nods and a reassuring smile. He only had a moment to think when a scream suddenly erupted.

**_"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"_ **

Kazuto felt his blood run cold when the death chilling scream tore through the night, immediately silencing the music and lowering the chatter. He couldn't help but notice how that voice sounded like a certain little servant he knew. His gaze quickly locked with Asuna's eyes. Silently, they both quickly came to a conclusion in that short moment. Scary stiffened as his eyes widened. A loud shout from the distance was barely heard, but Kazuto heard it as clearly as a ringing bell.

**"Death to the Princes! Death to the Princesses! Let the Royal Massacre begin!"**

Immediately after the cry, the people and Faeries panicked. Kazuto gasped when Asuna pulled him close and wrapped a protective arm around him, shielding him from the chaos around them. The air suddenly thinned around Kazuto as he felt the familiar, cold horror of bloodlust. Only, this time, it surrounded him. Fear gripped him when he realized what was going on. Everything was planned.

._._._._._.

Kazune knew it was here, and he knew he could not stop it. It was the future and he had to see it through to the end, even if he died. Already, he could smell the fires burning outside in the gardens. Silently, he prayed to the Goddess Etra for guidance.

"Kazune...! Our children!" Midori practically cried over the noise as she grabbed his arm. "Our children are there! They'll kill the children!"

He turned to her with a serious look of urgency. "Midori, calm down. Nothing good will come if you panic. Go find Suguha and escape as far as you can. Kazuto will follow with Ryoutarou and Asuna. The Children of Gale will come on their own. Can I trust you to ensure the safety of all of them?"

Midori stared at him for a moment before gritting her teeth, nodding. "Yes. You can."

The King of Aincrad smiled softly. "Thank you, Midori. You have been a wonderful wife."

"Don't you dare say good bye!" Midori snapped as she released her hand from him. "No matter what happens, Kazune, you better be the one to get us!"

"...Go." Kazune told her. He didn't promise her, because he already knew. Midori stood there for a moment as Kazune raised a hand. A dark light emitted from his hand as strands of purple-ish black, silk-like strands of magic twisted in the air.

"You better be alive." Midori didn't wait for an answer this time as she turned heel and dove into the craze. Kazune watched her go at the corner of his eye. For a split moment, he felt a twinge of regret and sadness. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to make any more promises he was sure to break.

A second later a beautifully crafted, black sword was gripped tightly in his hand. He frowned when a cloaked person in red dropped in front of him with a sword drawn. Kazuto didn't allow him another step as he brought his hand close to his chest and stabbed forward in a flash. Blood splattered across the marble and onto anyone who happened to be close by. He didn't even flinch as he pulled the blade upward, ignoring the dying man's screams.

More began to appear around him. Kazune's eyes narrowed as the red in his eyes began to become a bit noticeable. Though, it did not hinder his enemies. It wasn't hard to figure out that they were ready to die. After all, anyone who crossed the King in such a way... was dead.

._._._._._.

~A Few Minutes Earlier~

Morgan was glued to his spot. He was only delivering a tray of dirty dishes to the kitchens when it happened. Broken pieces of glass and ceramic littered the floor before him. Blood was flung everywhere in front of him: the walls and the floors. His clothes were stained with blood and his small hands were trembling terribly. He nearly choked on the scent of blood. The body before him was completely unrecognizable with all of the slashes and dark red blood clotting everywhere.

The red-cloaked murderer stood over the dead body with a malicious grin, his sword glistening red in the fire light in the hallway. Slowly, the crazed man began to laugh brokenly.

"Hahaha, you look a littl' scared there, kid." the man said as he stepped over the body. The tip of the sword trailed on the stone floor, leaving a line of crimson. Morgan watched the man with wide, frightened eyes as he took a shaky step back. "You wanna scream?"

Morgan shook his head wildly, tripping over his own feet. He whimpered when he fell to the floor and looked up at the crazed man with tearing eyes, but refused to say anything.

"Hey, it's okay to scream. I'd love to hear you scream. I tried to make that man scream, but, well, you can see what happened." The man said to him with amusement in his tone. Morgan scooted back as the man knelt down, holding a bloodied hand to him. "...Or do I have to do the same to you?"

Morgan began to breathe heavily as sobs threatened to escape him. "N-no...I won't."

The man lifted his bloody sword and held it at the side of Morgan's neck a hair's length away. "Aw, come on, kid. I'm dying to hear you scream."

"N-no." Morgan whimpered. He was trembling completely now. He knew he was probably going to die. If he did scream, he would still die by this man's hands. He stared to cry when the man roughly grabbed his arm and pulled him close. He could smell the man's clothes and it reeked of death and blood. This man was no stranger to killing.

Sweat covered Morgan's body as he tried to pull away, but the man was too strong for him. "No! L-let go...!"

He paled once the man's expression suddenly brightened. The man lifted the sword away from Morgan's neck and raised the handle above his head. "Scream for me."

Morgan's world flashed a hot white as he felt the blade dig into his hip. His jaw snapped open in a silent scream as his air escaped him. He forced himself to take a breath and all that came out were small cries of pain. "Haah! Ugh...!"

"That's it? No, I need to hear it. Scream!" the man snapped at him. Morgan gasped when he felt the blade turn, causing the wound to stretch. His back arched as his eyes scrunched up in pain.

"Scream!"

Morgan tried to reach out to the man to shove him off, but his arms were quickly pinned. He was openly crying now, no longer trying to hold back. He was going to die. His eyes didn't open as he tried to cope with the pain, but the man wouldn't allow it.

"Don't keep me waiting, kid. Scream."

With one last twist from the blade, he finally screamed at the top of his lungs with all the strength he had for as long as he could. Silently, he vainly hoped that someone would help him, but he knew it was pointless.

He was going to die.


	14. Run

**~The Evening of the Sixth Day of Ash Tree~**

The night was a bit chilly when Agil opened the back door to let some hot air out of the kitchen. The bar was ridiculously busy since it was flooded with people (and Faeries) and he barely had much of a break. Sighing, he stepped out of the kitchen to take in the cool air of Ash Tree. There was a moment of peace that Agil found calming despite the craziness all around. Sadly, it didn't last very long.

"Agil." called a voice behind him. The bar tender blinked in surprise when he recognized the voice immediately.

"Heathcliff?" he asked as he turned around. There, standing at the corner of the building, was the Leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. His face was set and grim as he approached Agil.

"I have an important message from HIs Majesty." Heathcliff said. Agil took note of a white envelope in his hand and crossed his arms.

"It's time, isn't it." he asked, already knowing the answer. Heathcliff closed his eyes.

"Yes," he confirmed. He opened his eyes with determination. "Pack a few bags for a long journey. They need to able to reach Mishe within a month with enough stops for rest. Morgan will bring you the horses tomorrow morning. Be sure that they are ready to ride at a moment's notice."

"So, in other words, make sure they get out of here quickly and safely." Agil said as he nodded in understanding. "I wish you gave us a day earlier. Kirito's eating habits make things a bit harder to pack for him."

Heathcliff chuckled. "Hahaha, well, you can't blame him and nor do I doubt it. He is, after all, Kazune's son."

"Hahaha, that's true...Although, I still find it hard to believe that this is happening." Agil said with a shake of his head. Heathcliff stared at him for a moment before looking up at the night sky.

"Neither can I. I cannot imagine the pain those children will go through. If it were another time, those children would've lived a peaceful life." Heathcliff said. Agil grimaced.

"A peaceful life, huh?" he pondered. "I guess it's too much to ask."

Heathcliff sighed and looked away from the sky.

"All we can do for now is make sure they get out of here safely. I know for a fact that Prince Scary will find a way to make sure our Prince will come home one day. We mustn't give up hope before it begins, Agil." he said, giving Agil a quick pat on the shoulder for assurance. The bar tender hummed in acknowledgement.

"Then I pray that the Goddess Etra will protect them."

"So will I."

._._._._._.

**~The Evening of the Seventh Day of Ash Tree~**

"What's happening?!" Kazuto cried as Asuna dragged him away from the center of the ballroom. His hand was tightly gripped in hers to the point where it nearly crushed his bones. "Asuna!"

Asuna didn't even bother to answer him as she suddenly pulled him close to her body. Out of no where, she pulled out a dagger and lashed out. Kazuto flinched when he felt warm blood splatter across his back and the sickening thud of a body.

"Please close your eyes, Your Highness." Asuna said with serious thick in her voice, "and trust me to guide you."

Kazuto gritted his teeth and did what he was told. Immediately, he felt Asuna grab his hand in a bone-crushing grip and pulled him away from the chaos. More than once, he felt Asuna swing her dagger at whoever came their way. He couldn't tell if they were friend or foe, but he prayed that they were enemies. Within moments, he felt the surroundings clear up a bit. Easily, he figured they were outside somewhere.

"Damnit! I went the wrong way." Asuna cursed.

"Asuna! Your Highness!" called a familiar voice. Kazuto snapped open his eyes without meaning to. To his relief, he saw the familiar face of Ryoutarou running toward them. His sword was out and Kazuto grimaced at the sight of red at the tip.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Asuna said as she pulled Kazuto with her to meet the Captain halfway. Ryoutarou managed a grim smile.

"With you dressed like that?" he asked her. Asuna released Kazuto's hand and made a rip in her skirt with her sword. Both boys spluttered in shock as she ripped her dress off. Underneath, she wore her Knights of the Blood Oath uniform without any armor. She brushed out any jewels in her hair and allowed them to clatter to the floor. Kazuto pressed his lips together in stunned silence as she placed a hand on her hip with a smirk.

"Who said I was?"

"There's more this way!" cried a voice not too far away.

"Kill them! One of them might be royalty!"

Kazuto instantly paled as he felt Ryoutarou wrap an arm around his waist.

"Time to go!" Ryoutarou said as he easily guided Kazuto without much effort.

"H-hey!" Kazuto protested, but it was short-lived as the headed back into the ballroom. Asuna followed close behind with a frown on her face and her dagger ready. As they made their way past all of the fighting and slaughter, Kazuto caught a glimpse of his sister for a moment. Panic immediately rang alarms in his head.

"No! Wait! Let me go! Ryoutarou, please!" he cried. The castle guard tightened his grip on his waist.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that! We must go!" he insisted. Kazuto frantically shook his head and tugged away from Ryoutarou.

"No! I can't! Suguha and mother is still in there! Even father!" he argued. Asuna tugged on his wrist and shook her head.

"There's no time! You have to leave!" she forced as the scent of blood began to overwhelm her. Kazuto opened his mouth to argue once again, but a familiar voice cut in.

"Ryoutarou, let me see my son."

"Your Majesty!"

Kazuto gasped in surprise when he recognized his father's voice. Immediately, he wrenched himself away from Ryoutarou and Asuna and scampered over to his father. Fear hit him like a wave as soon as his eyes caught the blood all over the King of Aincrad's regal coat. His father frowned.

"I'm sorry, Kazuto, I wasn't a good father to you in the end. I tried to keep a promise I made to your mother, but ultimately, I failed."

"Father, what are you talking about...?" Kazuto asked with a shaking voice.

He grabbed Kazuto's arm and placed the hilt of Elucidator in his hands. Kazuto instinctively held it as he looked at his father with wide eyes. "No...no, no, no! This can't be happening!"

The king smiled as he wiped away a tear from Kazuto's eye. He was well aware of Asuna and Ryoutarou doing their best to give them a bit of space by warding off the enemies. And...he was well aware of the time he had left with his son.

"Elucidator will guide you, just as it has done for all of the Kings before me. The world outside awaits you, Kazuto." Kazune said fondly as he held his son's face in his calloused hands, wiping away the tears of disbelief.

"Father! No!" Kazuto cried desperately as he grabbed his father's hands before he let him go. "Please, no! Papa...!"

"Go and prove to me that Kazuto is just as strong as Kirito."

With a flick of his hand, he signaled to Ryoutarou and the castle guard nodded grimly.

"No! I can't—! Papa! Wait—!" Kazuto tried, but it was too late. Ryoutarou had grabbed him and pulled him away from his father. Asuna was by their side in a second with a new sword in her hand (obviously, she stole it from some unlucky soul), already warding people out of the way. The King of Aincrad stood there with a sorrowful smile as the distance between the two began to grow. Kazuto reached a hand toward his father as a hopeless attempt to will him back. Even Elucidator began to glow a dark purple, mourning for the loss of its master.

"PAPA!" he cried at the top of his lungs. The last thing he saw was his father giving him a nod of encouragement. Kazuto gritted his teeth when he understood his father's nod.

Go.

._._._._._.

Asuna let out a cry of relief as the three of them managed to make it into a seemingly empty hall. Well...rather, empty of living people. Bodies littered the floor, making her heart jump in fright. Never in her life had she seen this many all at once! The hall itself felt like hell had froze over, even with a torch lighting up a portion of it.

"D-damn!" Ryoutarou cursed. His grip on Kazuto loosened, allowing the Prince to stand on his feet. Although Ryoutarou's curse was nearly drowned with Kazuto's gasp of horror.

"W-why... A-all of these people—It's just—!" Kazuto cut himself off as he buried his face into Ryoutarou's side. Asuna couldn't help but feel sorry for the Prince. After all, even the Black Swordsman himself had most likely never seen such a scene as gory as the one before them. Shaking, Asuna stepped over the bodies, silently praying to Etra.

She heard Ryoutarou follow close behind with Kazuto still clinging to him. Feeling a bit relieved, she looked around to see if there was anyone still hanging on somehow.

*Crack!*

"Eh?" Asuna looked down at her feet and pressed her lips together. There were shattered pieces of glass around her and a trail of blood coating them. Without thinking, her eyes followed the trail and she froze. Just a few feet ahead of them was a small child lying on his back. His silver hair seemed to glow a soft white-blue in the darkness. The child's skin was deathly pale and his clothes was stained with blood.

Suddenly, an image of a very much alive, silver-haired child with a bright smile flashed across her eyes. She gasped.

"M-Morgan!" she cried in horror, dropping to her knees at his side. She hoisted the child into her arms and looked over him. Kazuto looked up at the mention of his servant's name.

"Morgan?!" he breathed. He instantly paled as he caught a glimpse of the said child. Ryoutarou didn't bother to stop him as he ran over to Asuna's side.

"Is he alright?!" he asked as Asuna quickly felt for any injuries.

"I-I don't know. I just hope it's not his blood." she said in a shaking voice. She paled when she felt a tear in his clothes at his side. Asuna cursed when she actually looked at it. The skin was covered with blood, clearly showing a gaping hole in his hip.

"Morgan? Come on, Morgan! Wake up!" Kazuto called to the child. He lightly patted Morgan's face and shook him slightly while Asuna pressed a hand over the wound. A sudden strangled cry escaped Morgan's throat as he jolted up from the pressure on his side. Relief immediately flooded Kazuto as he refrained from grabbing him into a hug. "He's still alive!"

"N-No! I-I—!" Morgan began to splutter with a strained voice, but Asuna was quick to quiet him.

"Shh! Shh! It's okay! Just breathe, Morgan. Breathe. Can you do that for me?" she asked him. Morgan was gasping in pain as he squirmed to get away from Asuna's hand on his wound.

"N-no! Please! D-don't kill—!" his sentence was disrupted with a pained whimper.

"Come on, carry him! We need to get going!" Ryoutarou said as he pulled Kazuto to his feet. The Prince barely struggled as Asuna gathered the crying Morgan in her arms. Just faintly, they could hear voices down the hall. Kazuto didn't know whether or not they were good or bad people, but he wasn't about to stay to find out.

The group's footfalls echoed off the walls as they rushed toward the quickest exit. Kazuto lead the way with confidence, since he did study the blueprint of the castle to the line. They just turned a corner and—

"Gah!"

*Crash!*

"Damn!" cried a familiar voice. Kazuto looked up from his position on the ground and spotted Scary nursing his chest with a groan. Behind him stood a teal-haired girl wearing her ballroom gown and a crossbow ready in her delicate hands.

"Scary!" the girl said, lifting her crossbow to Kazuto's direction.

"Don't shoot!" Scary snapped as he scrambled to his feet. He didn't bother to take a look around him, but he easily recognized Asuna and Ryoutarou. "He's the prince, Sinon!"

"What? Him?!" the Princess of Gale questioned. Asuna cleared her throat as she gently placed Morgan in Ryoutarou's arms since he was getting heavy. The castle guard had no trouble holding him, but his face clearly said that they needed to hurry.

"We can discuss this later!" Asuna said, giving Scary a look. The Prince of Gale rolled his eyes, as if to say, "I don't need to be told twice!"

"Hey! I heard something down this way!" echoed a voice behind them. Ryoutarou cursed and held Morgan a little too tight, causing the boy to flinch in pain. Sinon's grip tightened on her precious crossbow while Asuna drew her sword just in case. Kazuto barely stood up when Scary suddenly grabbed his upper arm and yanked him forward.

"Get us out of here!" he ordered. Kazuto gave a quick nod and took off, hearing the others right on his tail. As he ran down the once familiar halls, he silently prayed to Etra, begging her that they would get out of this mess soon.

._._._._._.

Sinon couldn't believe her eyes. She knew her brother told her that they need to get out of here alive and save the Prince of Aincrad, but...she expected a bit more. At first glance, she saw him as a frail child that was pampered beyond belief.

But then... She was proved wrong.

Smoke began to fill the halls of the castle and the sent of blood and flesh only made it worse. Sinon could hardly breathe as she forced herself to keep running, keeping close to her older brother. Hecate was loaded and ready to be fired at a moment's notice. The girl next to her cut down anyone who came close to their running group. The castle guard holding a child was somehow keeping up with their fast pace.

In front of her, the Prince of Aincrad led the way through the castle. She was amazed that the seemingly frail teen was able to run that fast, but then again, he could've been going off of adrenaline. Although, she doubted that. Kazuto form was graceful and relaxed, almost as if he's done it a million times before.

As they began to get closer to somewhere, small bouts of fires littered the halls and walls, and a few pieces of the castle fell to the floors. She barely had the energy to avoid the fires and leap over the debris. To her shock and amazement, Kazuto barely faltered. His movements were like water as he avoided the fires and completely graceful as he practically did a flip in the air to jump over a broken pillar.

"Just up ahead is the Eastern Garden! From there we can use the passage I use to get out of the castle!" Kazuto yelled over the burning fires. Sinon blinked at his words, but decided to dwell on them later.

The rush of cool air braced her as the group managed to stumble into the gardens. She took a look around and noticed that the garden was barely touched with a fire. Instead, the whole area was bathed in the light of the full moon.

"We're out!" Asuna breathed as she brandished her sword to flick the blood off. Ryoutarou readjusted his grip on the child, whispering reassurances to him. Scary bit his lip and looked back, flinching as a chunk of the ceiling caved in from the weakened pillars. If they were a few seconds late...

Sinon shook her head, not wanting to think of the what ifs. Scary pressed his lips together and looked over everyone for a brief moment.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, keeping a wary eye out for anyone heading their way. Asuna and Ryoutarou just nodded while Sinon managed a smile.

"I'm fine." she assured. Scary gave her a tiny smile of relief before frowning.

"How's Morgan?" he asked Ryoutarou. The castle guard gritted his teeth.

"Bad. He needs medical attention. I don't know how much blood he lost, but he'll die if we don't get out of here soon." he said grimly.

"Then come on, *huff* we're *cough* almost there." Kazuto breathed as he placed his hands on his knees. Scary gave him one look and pressed his lips together, obviously debating over something. Kazuto shook his head and forced himself to stand up. With one glance at Morgan, the Prince of Aincrad began to cross the gardens to the castle walls. Scary looked over to Sinon with a glint of worry in his eye, but followed the Prince anyway. Sinon knew that Scary was concerned about Kazuto, but now wasn't the time and place to take a break.

A quick breather was fine, but anything longer could result their deaths.

The group followed Kazuto to a seemingly random spot by the wall. Sinon watched as he ran his hands against the wall. A few seconds later, he took a step back and kicked the wall carelessly.

"H-hey! You don't kick a wall like tha—!" Asuna began. She cut herself off as a portion of the wall slid back and moved to the side. Kazuto turned his head and grinned.

"Ladies first." he said, taking a few more steps back. Sinon was about to let Asuna go first but felt Scary suddenly shove her toward the wall.

"Go! Someone's here!" he snapped. Immediately, Sinon regained her step and hurried out with Asuna and Ryoutarou following them. Scary practically yanked Kazuto like a rag doll to the other side.

"Kick the wall." Kazuto told Scary. Her brother gave him a look.

"Where?"

"Anywhere!"

Sinon rolled her eyes and just kicked the wall. The stone slab hidden in the wall suddenly began moving, closing up the gaping hole.

"To the town!" Scary told them, ushering Kazuto in the general direction.

"W-what?" Sinon asked, but Asuna just grabbed her arm politely and began to guide her with a jog. Sinon grimaced as she forced herself to jog along with her. The adrenaline that once rushed through her veins began to drain from her system. Her body felt tired and strained from all of the running she had to do. Of course, she trained herself to be fast and built up her stamina, but...she never thought that the actual thing would be so taxing. She looked at Asuna and felt a bit jealous. The girl was still keeping a steady jog without a single limb shaking.

"Scary," she breathed as she jogged. Her brother acknowledged her with a grunt that was barely heard over Kazuto's heavy breaths and Morgan's pained whimpers. "What's— *huff* going to *huff* happen n-now?"

No one said a thing as they neared the town, not sure how to answer her question. Everyone began to slow at the sight of town's outline. From the distance, Sinon could see a pair of men standing outside, almost as if they were waiting for them. She was about to ask again when her brother finally answered her with a grim tone.

"I don't know, Sinon. I don't know."

 


	15. One Moment Please!

The room was dark, only illuminated faintly with a dying candle. The moonlight that flooded into the room seemed to cause Scary's teal hair to glow softly. His face was buried in his hands as he sat on the bed he was given; his elbows resting on his knees. Of course, it was a drastic change from the castle's luxurious bed, but he didn't give a damn.

Right now, he was stressed. Heck, he was beyond stressed. He was tired, frustrated, and...well, he just wanted to hit something...really hard.

The door to his room opened, but he didn't bother to look up. Heavy footsteps rang clear in the room, accompanied with the sounds of armor clanking together.

"...Your Highness, the enemy seems to be going around the town. They're trying to gather the people, but I'm not sure what they're up too. It's almost time to leave. Have you not rested for a bit?" Heathcliff's voiced asked. Scary didn't bother to move or answer, trying to keep himself from screaming. There was a long moment of silence before Heathcliff broke it.

"Prince Scary, are you alright?" he asked. Scary couldn't bring himself to answer nicely as he forced himself to not snap. He didn't want to be rude, but it was better to give the silent treatment instead of physically harming a person.

There was another long silence.

"...Your-" Heathcliff began, but Scary cut him off.

"How are they?" he asked rather bluntly.

The was a short pause before Heathcliff answered. "Prince Kazuto seems to had developed a fever. I'm not sure if he'll be well enough to leave within the next few hours. Agil believes that he strained himself. Both Asuna and Ryoutarou are on watch at the current moment. Princess Sinon is resting in the room next door."

"...And what of Mor'gan?" Scary asked, not letting Heathcliff leave the child out.

"Well...we were able to save Morgan, but he is still at a high risk of passing soon. Agil gave him a crystal to heal the injury. The wound is closed, but we're concerned about the blood loss." came the answer.

Scary stayed silent for a moment before finally lifting his head. He took one look at Heathcliff and frowned. About three or so hours ago, Scary and the others arrived at the town. Scary wasn't surprised to find a bar owner and a Guild Leader waiting for them. In fact, he expected them.

Kazuto wasn't able to keep up with them any longer and collapsed before they even reached Agil and Heathcliff. Sinon wasn't that far behind, collapsing on Asuna and scaring the crap out of her brother. Needless to say, they were in desperate need of a break. As Scary expected, Agil was quick to take the group to a house that was somewhat obscured from the town itself. It wasn't actually noticeable at first glance, in fact, anyone would miss it even if they looked a second time.

"Can he travel?" Scary asked as he straightened his back.

"...No, I wouldn't recommend it, Your Highness." Heathcliff said with a firm note in his voice. "He should stay here with us."

Scary gritted his teeth as he lowered his head a bit. "No. He has to come with us."

"Your Highness, you'll kill the child!" Heathcliff said. Scary suddenly stood up and sent a dead serious look at him. The Guild Leader suddenly froze as he felt a shiver rush up his spine. A feeling of dread rose in the pit of his stomach, slowly making him completely uneasy. Heathcliff felt a drop of sweat form and slip down the side of his face.

"And they won't?" Scary asked with a low, dark voice. His right fist curled to a shaking fist. "I recognized those damn cloaks, Heathcliff. Not one kingdom has never heard of the Laughing Coffin. They'd kill Mor'gan once they figure out that he's a servant at the castle."

Heathcliff tried to answer, actually, he found that he couldn't answer as Scary narrowed his gaze. With a slow blink, his eyes changed to a vibrant violent, a huge contrast to his normal teal eyes.

"I will not let that child die. Not again."

._._._._._.

_He could feel it. Hundreds of souls were passing through the Realm of Dreams at an alarming rate. Their cries, their screams...all of it echoed in his head. The curses, the begging... the various emotions of regret, anger, fear, and pain flooded all of his senses to the point where he nearly couldn't take it._

_The Restorer, Kirito, squeezed his eyes shut and placed his hands over his ears in vain attempt to block them out. In fact, it only made it worse. He shook his head and tried to take even breaths. But, it was all for naught. His breathing quickened and came in odd gasps, almost to the point where he sounded like he was hallucinating. His body ached from feeling all of the pains they felt, threatening to bring him to his knees._

**_"-He needs to die!"_ ** _echoed a harsh voice. Kirito didn't look up as the voice sounded distant. He could've sworn that he heard the voice before._

**_"Oberon, no!"_ ** _snapped a very familiar voice. Kirito gritted his teeth as he placed a name and a face to the voice._

_Kazune._

_That voice was Kazune. It was the King of Aincrad. A person Kirito knew since the King was first born. He knew everything there was about him...even the secrets he hid from the Realm of Reality. Kirito's heart wrenched as he heard the voice once more._

**_"Oberon, don't do i-!"_ **

**_*CRACK*_ **

_Kirito's ill-green eyes suddenly snapped open as he felt something in him shatter apart. He gasped and fell to his knees, his hands gripping his shoulders tightly. The familiar feeling of being hollow made itself known with a bone-crushing pressure. He looked up to the cursed clock face he always stared at with a forced smile._

_"It has begun."_

_Taking a deep breath, he let out a haunted laugh with his eyes slowly slipping closed. The cries and agonies of the dead died away as the night on the other side began to turn to day. HIs physical pain became almost nonexistent, only leaving behind the bitter aftertaste of loss and grief._

_Memories of a life he never lived rushed through. He didn't want to watch them, but something made him-forced him, rather-to watch it all from their point of view. Starting from the moment the person was born, to the moment they died. It was strange...seeing the things that he only heard of became alive before him. There was just so much, but he couldn't help but notice certain things standing out to him._

**_"Ha! As if you could possibly catch up with me! I'm decades older than you."_ ** _A blonde haired Faerie said with a teasing smirk._

**_"Oh my, Kazune! I swear, you'll kill your father with stress at this rate. You can't seem to get anything right these days."_ ** _A rose-haired Faerie jested with a laughing smile on her face with her white, translucent wings fluttering slightly._

**_"You're an utter failure. How you do you expect to rule a kingdom, Kaze? Let me take over and you don't have to worry anymore...my dearest brother."_ ** _There was a grave beneath the shade of a grand oak tree. Standing right beside it was a man with long purple hair tied to a high pony tail. His eyes were covered with his long bangs that swayed in the slight breeze. Kirito felt shivers run down his back when he caught a glimpse of the man's blood red eyes, gleaming with something identifiable._

**_"I, Prince Kazune, Son of the late King Hidori of Aincrad, will now claim by birthright!"_ ** _An awfully familiar, beautifully crafted sword gleamed in 'his' hand as 'he' brandished it in front of an altar; it's blade dripping blood at its tips. Strangely, 'he' could feel tears rushing down his face. There, lying still covered in red, was the same purple-haired man._

**_"Promise me, Kazune! Promise me that you'll protect our son! Kazuto must live!"_ ** _The pink haired Faerie said desperately as she began to slip out of 'his' grip._

**_"-Are next in line to be the King of Aincrad, and I should start acting like a Prince. Yeah, yeah, I know, Papa, but I couldn't help myself!"_ ** _A small child laughed as he looked up at 'him'. Kirito suddenly stiffened when a wave of nostalgia crashed upon him._ **_"Ryoutarou was being so weird this morning!"_ **

**_"I may not be your wife, Kazune, but he is my son, and she is your daughter. Were those not your words sixteen years ago?"_ ** _A black haired woman with matching, glaring eyes snapped._

**_"No! I can't-! Papa! Wait-!"_ ** _A deathly pale, black haired child cried with wide midnight eyes, his arm desperately reaching for 'him'._

_"No..." Kirito breathed as he managed to tear himself away from the flood of memories. Disbelief and realization practically slapped him in the face as he shook his head. "That can't be him...That can't really be Kazune's son!"_

_He scrambled to get up and threw his hands away from his body. Just as suddenly he did so, a large magic circle appeared from underneath him, spreading across the floor to stop not too far from the very walls of his confinement. The light from the circle shimmered brightly as Kirito widened his eyes, feeling a weird sensation flood through his veins._

_The light grew brighter and his eyes slowly, but surely faded into a very dark grey, nearly black. small bits of white seemed to shatter off of his coat and disintegrate in the air. He felt a bit lighter, as if a weight was lifted. The heavy cloud of sleepiness lifted slightly, making him more aware of his surroundings._

_The magic circle began to disappear and Kirito held himself upright, trying to calm his now beating heart. Shock and understanding crossed his face as he gritted his teeth, cherishing feeling of being alive again...well, somewhat._

_"Oh, damn..." he said with a shaky voice, "It's breaking...it really is beginning."_

_He didn't know if he was blessed, or Goddess-damn cursed._

._._._._._.

Kazuto felt like utter crap. His limbs were heavy with exhaustion and his head was...well, to put it bluntly, a jerk. The moment he woke up, he wanted to retch. And that he did. He stumbled out of bed and found a bathroom down the hall, emptying his stomach pitifully. Images of the horror he escaped from flashed through his head, making him retch even when there was nothing left.

How? How could people slaughter everyone just like that? Would they kill his father? Was he still alive? Why did they attack the castle now? Weren't they at a time of peace? What about his mother? And Suguha? Did they get away? Were they alive?! Several more questions ran through his head, making him hyperventilate. He knew that was bad, but he couldn't seem to take a deep breath to save his life!

He wasn't even aware of someone entering the bathroom until a hand was gripping his shoulder in worry.

"Hey-! No, stop! That's too much blood already!" came a voice. Kazuto didn't answer as he felt his muscles just fail him, no longer able to hold him up. "Hey! Hang in there! Scary! Agil! Anyone! I need some help!"

Kazuto barely even registered what in the world was going on. He felt someone pick him up like a child and brought him somewhere. If he'd have to guess, he'd say he was back in the room he borrowed.

"Damn it, how did this happen?" said a familiar voice. Kazuto could barely hear him as he coughed into his own hand, clutching his chest. He cracked open an eye and saw a blurry image of Ryoutarou gritting his teeth in worry.

"Your Highness! Calm down, you need to calm down!" Ryoutarou advised as he rubbed his upper arms in attempt to calm the prince.

"Don't say it like that! You'll make him worse, damn it!" Scary's voice snapped. Ryoutarou's hands suddenly disappeared and it was replaced with smaller hands. Kazuto immediately recognized Asuna.

"Your Highness, try and take deep breaths, alright?" Asuna said, her voice completely calm. Kazuto nodded and tried to take shuddering breath. Unfortunately, just as he exhaled, it caught in his throat, throwing him into an another coughing fit. It was harsher than his earlier one, burning his throat and making his hand wetter and wetter.

"I'll get some water." came Agil's worried voice. Kazuto barely heard his retreating steps as he left. He wanted to lay down, but Asuna's grip was keeping him in place. She patted his back in attempt to help, but she made it slightly worse. Luckily, she figured it out on her own.

"Kazuto," she began, dropping formality out the window, "Breathe, take it slow and breathe."

Kazuto forced himself to take a slow, shaking breath and let it out, slowly. Instantly, the pressure on his head faded to an ache and his breaths became a little easier. Uneven, but easier.

"Damn it," came Scary's voice. Kazuto could clearly hear the frustration in his voice. "We definitely can't leave if he's like this."

"And you're intent on bringing a half-dead child with you." Heathcliff muttered. Kazuto couldn't even understand what they were talking about. Actually, he didn't even want to begin understanding it. He allowed himself lean against Asuna, who sat next to him. He dropped his hand and widened his eyes slightly at the sight of red. Worry nipped at him at the sheer amount of it for a moment, before pain took over.

"Scary, we can't just drag him like this when he's in this condition. I doubt that he can survive a ride through the day!" Sinon's voice said, worry clear in her voice.

"But, if we don't get moving, we'll be found and thrown in the middle of town square with all of the other people." Asuna said as she wrapped a protective arm around Kazuto. "They'll find us and kill us all."

"Not if I can't help it." Agil's voice came as he walked right back into the room. "My wife and I can handle them with a distraction of some sort."

"Here drink this," Asuna said softly, raising the glass to Kazuto's lips. Since when did she get the glass? He decided to think about that later as he allowed her to help him take small sips. He finished about half of the glass and already felt a little better. Well...at least his throat didn't feel like murdering him anymore.

"No, Asuna is right. Unless we get our arse moving, we'll be dead before we know it." Scary argued.

"You can't drag a half-dead child and a severely ill teenager with you!" Heathcliff objected. "You'll kill them!"

"So, what do you expect us to do? Sit around like ducks and die here?" Scary snapped. Kazuto gritted his teeth as he tried to ignore them. Their arguing began to get on his nerve and heighten his headache.

"Scary-" Sinon began, but was interrupted by Heathcliff.

"We'll think of something! I can probably get a distraction to last a day. Besides, no one knows what the Prince of Aincrad looks like." Heathcliff said. Kazuto heard a sigh to his right.

"Well, unfortunately for the rest of us, we're pretty well known. I did venture around the town with Princess Suguha earlier this week. If the Laughing Guild has been around for a while, then they would definitely recognize me and easily notice that Scary is my brother with his bright hair." Sinon said, trying to get a point across. Kazuto coughed once as he shook his head, gaining the attention of the others.

"D-don't ev-en both-er." he rasped. "So-meone tr-ied *cough* to a-assas-sina-te me be-fore A-suna be-came my g-gua-rd. The-y pro-bably kno-w my fa-ce. *cough*"

A series of different curses were heard around the room as their seemingly good idea burned to ashes with Kazuto's fact.

"I can't let the group of you travel like this!" Heathcliff snapped, his patience wearing thin. "You won't make it far!"

"We must! What choice to do have!" Scary hissed through gritted teeth.

"Your Highness-" Heathcliff began, but Kazuto suddenly forced himself to stand up, suddenly surprising everyone.

"Kazuto!" Asuna cried as she moved to get up, only to be stopped with a raised hand from Kazuto. He cleared his throat and leaned against the wall for support glaring at Heathcliff and Scary.

"Oh, for the love of Etra! Would you both shut. Up. For a mom-ent?" he commanded, his voice cracking slightly. He shook his head to get his bearings and looked who was in the room. Sinon stood not too far from her brother, looking exhausted with a worried frown. Scary looked like he wanted to gut someone with his fist curled and lifted slightly. Heathcliff's hand was clutching the hilt of his sword at his side, clearly holding his temper down. Agil stood a little off to the side, not wanting to get into get involved if things got rough. Asuna gave Kazuto a worried look, silently asking him to sit down. He only offered her a ghost of a smile before looking right at Agil.

"Where's Morgan?" he asked, forcing down a wave of nausea. Damn, he hated being sick. It was the worst possible situation, too.

"...He's healed, but if he moves around now, he's more than likely to die. He lost too much blood." Agil answered hesitantly. Kazuto heaved a heavy sigh and bowed his head to stop the room from swaying.

"Ugh...we don't really have a choice, do we? We'll have to leave him behind." Kazuto muttered as he rubbed his face in exhaustion.

"What-Hell no! He's-" Scary began, but he was cut off.

"No! I'm coming!" cried an awfully familiar voice. Kazuto snapped his head up and instantly regretted it as the whole room tilted suddenly. He was quick to stop himself from falling over as he focused at the small figure at the doorway. There, leaning against the door ledge, was Morgan. His silver hair was a mess and his baby blue eyes were surprisingly sharp considering his age and flushed appearance.

"Morgan!" Agil cried in surprise, "You should be resting!"

"I'm okay! See look!" To prove his point, Morgan pushed himself away from the door and went to Scary's side. The Prince gave him an odd look as the young child practically passed by him. Morgan scurried over to Kazuto's side and spun on his heel to turn to everyone, holding up a small vial of strange, forest green liquid with a grin. "Hee hee! See!"

Sinon's eyes widened in surprise as Scary did a double take.

"That's..." Sinon trailed off, hardly believing her eyes.

"Hey! You pick-pocketed me!" Scary accused as he stomped over to Morgan. "Give it here!"

He tried to swipe it out of the child's hands, but Morgan was quick to dodge and practically skipped over to Asuna. He showed his empty hands to Scary with a teasing grin.

"Give what?" he asked innocently. Asuna couldn't help but gape at the child.

"Morgan! You don't do that!" she scolded as she lightly (swiftly) smacked him on the head. Morgan flinched and bowed apologetically repeatedly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he apologized. Scary held out a hand to the child.

"Damn it, Morgan! Give it back!" he demanded. Heathcliff and Agil could only watch in disbelief. How could a half-dead child be so energetic? Or rather...was he already better? Morgan gave Scary a look of childish innocence.

"Hmm? I don't have it. Check your pocket." he told the Prince. Scary blinked in confusion and checked his pocket. He froze for a moment before pulling out the same vial with wide eyes.

"How the..." he started before stuffing the vial back in his pocket and grabbed Morgan's shoulders. "How the hell were you able to do that when you're just healing?!"

Morgan barely had the chance to say anything as Scary lifted his bloody shirt. Kazuto watched with curiosity as Scary inspected his side. To his surprise, there was no trace of blood, or even a scar to indicate where he was injured. In fact, it looked like he was never even touched there to begin with! Kazuto felt his jaw drop slightly. Was that really a crystal that healed him?

He knew for a fact that a crystal could heal injuries, but there was always a scar left behind if the injury was that serious...and Morgan's was  _that serious._

"It's completely gone..." Scary muttered in shock. Asuna gave a look of disbelief before seeing it for herself.

"What the..." she trailed off.

"But how?!" Heathcliff and Agil asked, sharing a look of disbelief. The room was silent for a long moment before Morgan broke it.

"I told you I was okay." he said with a careless shrug.


	16. A Pointless Sacrifice

Kazune cursed under his breath at his current situation. His hands were bound behind his back and he couldn't move. Immediately after Kazuto disappeared from his sight, he was captured by Oberon. He was kind of surprised that the other king didn't kill him right then and there. After all, he was completely unarmed without Elucidator. He usually did have a back up sword on his person, but he didn't have it for a good reason.

Instead, Oberon threw him into his study and tied him up, locking him in there. Apparently, the Faerie king needed him for something else entirely... but for what exactly? There's nothing he could possibly be useful for.

Kazune snapped out of his thoughts as the door to his study suddenly opened, revealing a clearly frustrated Oberon.

"Damn you, Kazune." he cursed as he strolled into the room, slamming the door shut. "I didn't expect you be so easy to catch."

"I had no reason to run. Besides, you are my Brother." Kazune said with a roll of his eyes. Oberon unsheathed Excaliber at his side and strolled up to Kazune with a tight frown.

"Brother _ **-in-law**_ , Kazune." he corrected harshly. Kazune smiled bitterly.

"Right. Of course." he agreed. The other king raised Excaliber and held it threateningly at his neck.

"Where is 'he'?" Oberon demanded as he pressed the blade of Excaliber against Kazune's neck, drawing a bit of blood.

"You will never find my son, Oberon." Kazune said calmly.

"I'm not talking about him! Where is 'he'?!" Oberon snapped, pressing the blade further, drawing more blood. Kazune gritted his teeth, knowing what he was asking.

"No, I can't do that." he said firmly, silently cursing at his restraints. If only he could get his hands free...

"Shut up and tell me! Or else I'll have to the same thing I did to Mor'gan!"

"I will not let you reach those children!" Kazune snapped. He leaned back to get rid of the presser against his neck. Oberon moved suddenly, pulling Kazune forward and throwing him to the floor. Kazune grunted as he hit the floor. Not even a second later, he felt the tip of Excaliber slice his opened arms, not only freeing him from the ropes, but slashing the backside of his left arm and right palm open. Kazune only hand the moment to hiss painfully as Oberon picked him up by the collar of his dress shirt, efficiently choking him slightly.

"If you won't tell me," Oberon began as he lifted Kazune high into the air, almost as if the other child was just a pesky child. Kazune didn't move when his feet left the floor and gritted his teeth as Oberon continued with a dark voice, "then I'll make you tell me."

._._._._._.

The door to the Chamber of Springs remained untouched as the fires raged above and the death toll grew. In the bright embers of the torches, the door stood magnificently, almost as if it was a center of peace. The only thing out of place was the two bloodied Kings.

"Hurry up, Kazune, we're running out of time." Oberon's face was set and hard as he kicked the King of Aincrad toward the door. Of course, Kazune had his pride. He stumbled a little and took a few paces ahead. There was no way he was giving Oberon the satisfaction of tripping and falling to the floor.

"Why are you doing this, Oberon? Destroying the castle isn't going to get you anywhere." Kazune said as he turned to look at his brother-in-law.

"I said, 'hurry up', Kazune! Open the Chamber of Springs!" Oberon snapped. Kazune glared at him as he stood his ground.

"No. I will not. Not unless you tell me what all of this is about." he said. "You killed not only my people, but also your very own. Do you not feel any remorse?!"

Oberon scoffed as he unsheathed Excaliber and held it toward the other. "Remorse? Guilt? Dread? What about you, Kazune? You killed Shiiro. He was the only brother that cared for you."

"Don't bring my brother into this mess. He has nothing to do with anything." Kazune said with a frown.

"Then how about my sister? Titania? She was your wife and you murdered her!" Oberon yelled as he forced Kazune to the door.

"It wasn't me, Oberon." Kazune said calmly, trying to keep his own frustration down. "You know that better than I do."

"Kazune, I will not ask you again. Open the door."

Kazune stared at him for a moment longer before opening his mouth. "Goddess Etra, I ask of you, please seal the door! Not one shall enter without your blessing!"

"What?!"

As soon as those words escaped Kazune's mouth, the door was suddenly outlined with a white light, efficiently sealing the it with Etra's magic. Oberon watched with wide, disbelieving eyes. Kazune smirked as the other king backed away with anger and frustration clear on his face.

"I will never let you enter the Chamber, Oberon. After all, demons are not allowed inside." he said. "Or should I say, 'Desire'?"

Oberon was silent for a moment before he suddenly grinned. It wasn't a nice grin, but rather a...strangely unnerving one. Kazune couldn't help but feel a shiver snake down his back.

"Oh, so you knew?" Oberon said with an easy tone. His blonde bangs covered his eyes as he bowed his head in amusement. Kazune resisted the urge to swallow uneasily as he took a step back. "Oberon" began to laugh softly, but within seconds it turned hysterical. The warm, green eyes that Kazune was used to were gone. Instead, they were replaced with burning red.

Although it didn't look like it, Kazune was scared. He had known Oberon every since he was a very small child, and never once did he laugh like that. At times, Oberon could be disturbingly frightening, but...not like this. Kazune immediately blamed the demon residing in his friend.

"Tell me, Son of Hidori," "Oberon" said suddenly, as his laughter ceased completely. Kazune was shaking slightly as he pressed his lips together. "Do you know what Yukio can do?"

"I don't know." Kazune said as he pressed his back against the door, trying to put as much distance between them.

"Don't...know? Yukio is the only thing I need to get rid of other than your son. Strangely enough, I can't seem to find him. Mor'gan was easy considering he was Oberon's son, but Yukio?"

There was a long pause as "Oberon" slowly made his way to Kazune, deliberately making his steps echo against the walls.

"I will not help you." Kazune said firmly, breaking the silence. Suddenly, something in "Oberon" snapped as he lifted Excaliber up to his shoulders to the right with his hand in a flash.

"That Yukio! He needs to die!" he said suddenly. Kazune felt his eyes widened as he threw out an arm in desperation.

"Oberon, no!" Kazune snapped. But it was too late, the Holy Blade of Alfheim was already swinging toward him.

"Oberon, don't do i-!" Kazune couldn't finish his sentence as the blade cut deeply across his chest. For a split moment, Kazune's mind didn't register the injury, but when he did, Kazune collapsed to the ground bonelessly. "Oberon" stood there for a moment with his now green eyes wide in disbelief. His hands began to shake as Kazune's blood reached his boots. Excaliber slipped out of his hand, clattering harshly to the floor into the red.

"No..." he whispered, his voice cracking a bit. "I couldn't have..."

He shook as he forced himself to look down. Immediately, he regretted it as all of the blood drain from his face.

"K-Kaz...zune...?" he asked in a weak voice. He hurriedly dropped to his knees and reached over to Kazune. "No! Kazune, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I can't lose you, too!"

Kazune forced himself to open his eyes. Strangely, the red that once rimmed his iris was gone, leaving a soft blue in its place. Oberon couldn't help but feel relieved to see Kazune's eyes change back. Once again, the innocence he held nearly twenty years ago had returned, but it wasn't for long. Kazune didn't hold back a cringe as he tensed, almost as if he was struggling internally.

Oberon barely had the chance to say anything as the life that lit Kazune's bright blue eyes disappeared. The King of Alfheim silently used a single hand to close the eyes and held on to the body for a moment longer. He looked up to the ceiling, but his eyes were no longer it's vibrant green. They were crimson red yet again.

"The four-hundred and seventy sixth death." the Demon said with a smile on Oberon's face as he chuckled. "Let's see how well you fare..."

The whole atmosphere suddenly grew cold as "Oberon" laughed as loud and as hard as the Faerie body could allow. "...Kirito! I'll make you suffer till the end of time!"

All one could hear was sound of the mad laughter that echoed against the walls. Although, if one did listen very closely, they would hear the undertone of a cry that could rip the very heart of a person.

A soft, barely heard cry of anguish.

The cry of a frail Faerie.

._._._._._.

The moon had already set and they were almost ready to head out. The air was cold against Kazuto's skin, giving him a bit of relief from his cursed fever. They had just managed to exit the town, nearly caught near the white brick walls of the town. Scary was already settled on top of his grey horse, Stardust (Kazuto found that name to be pretty strange considering the horse's owner), with the pack of supplies right behind him. Sinon was helping Morgan settle on her brown horse, Aries, before mounting herself.

Kazuto found it a bit strange to see Morgan actually listening to someone very intently. Usually, the child was a bit airy when being told instructions. He was always a lighthearted child.

"Up we go, Your Highness." Asuna said as she helped him mount her grayish-white horse, River. Kazuto winced as he forced himself to swing his leg over and sit properly in the saddle. A wave of nausea spun his head a little, but he managed to keep it down. Since Kazuto was a little small for his age, Asuna was able to sit right behind him and wrap her arms around him, grabbing the reins. Elucidator was strapped against Kazuto's side, glowing a dark purple in the dark night.

Ryoutarou mounted on his own red horse, Terra, with ease. "It's too early this..."

"Is everyone settled?" Agil asked as he tightened the strap to Scary's pack. Sinon mounted her horse with Morgan sitting behind her.

"Will we ever come back?" Morgan asked as Heathcliff handed him a map. The Guild Leader patted Morgan's arm reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Morgan. You'll be home when this is all settled." he said with a fake smile. Kazuto grimaced as he saw through it, but he didn't say anything since Morgan was smiling hopefully. He wouldn't dare ruin a child's hope. It was something priceless.

"Now, Morgan," Heathcliff said seriously, causing Morgan to stare at him with slightly wide eyes, "Do you remember moving from Kamdet to the capital?"

Morgan blinked as he placed a thoughtful look on his face. "I....I think so...I was really small though."

"I know it may be a bit strange," Agil began as he looked over to Morgan. "but, Morgan, will you lead the way back to Kamdet? It's just the whole trip backwards. Can you handle it?"

"To mother and father? But...wasn't I..." the boy trailed off before nodding. "O-okay...I can lead the way, but there's no road in the path I took...just a river."

"A river? I don't remember there being a river when we first came here." Scary said as he narrowed his eyes in thought.

Asuna gestured to the east with her chin. "It's not in the direction of Gale. It leans more toward the Western Metal Gates of Ganzam and passes Kamdet. If we're lucky, we'll be there within a month or less."

" _If_  we're lucky?" Sinon questioned, looking a bit worried.

"We do have monsters all over the kingdom. Why do you think we still have Guilds around and not armies?" Kazuto said, his tone forceful. He bit his lip to keep a pathetic whimper back as his throat burned.

"Riiiight, I nearly forgotten about that." Scary said offhandedly.

"Alright," Ryoutarou began as he pulled a little at the reins, causing Terra to prance a bit. "We go to Kamdet and rest there until His Hi-I mean, K-Kazuto recovers."

"That's the only option we got right now." Asuna said as she held Kazuto a little closer. If Kazuto wasn't feeling like crap, he would've noticed the closeness.

"Then let's get going before Kazuto dies on us." Scary deadpanned as he gave his horse a slight kick. Stardust neighed as she settled into a fast trot.

"Curse you, too, Scary." Kazuto muttered as he held a hand over his mouth. "Curse you, too."

"Remember, Prince Scary, stay away from the roads!" Agil warned. Scary spared him a glance over his shoulder as everyone began to follow him.

"I promise!"

 


	17. Scary's "Group" Discovery

The forest glowed a soft blue as a small girl stood in the middle of a clearing. She was staring up at the slowly brightening sky. At the corner of her dark eyes were tears threatening to fall. It brought a smile on her face to see the morning come, knowing that it had finally begun. Her feathery, white and blue dress shimmered, bits and pieces of her magic seeping into the air. Her long, black hair flowed in the slight breeze. The air around her was abuzz with excitement and she could hear rustles of the trees growing louder and louder.

The forest was restless.

Every creature felt it. The land was beginning to stir from its timeless sleep.

It was time for her to finally move.

She stood up and dusted herself off for a moment before heading out of the clearing. She started at a light jog and started to speed up, slowly trees were beginning to thin, slowly turning into a meadow. There was a cliff before her, but she didn't dare to stop. The ends of her dress began to glitter in the sunlight and a strange white light engulfed her. She glowed for a whole ten seconds, the light shrinking during that time.

Suddenly, the light dispersed and a small, little blue jay bird took flight.

._._._._._.

The sun was nearly set as the group finally took an actual break to set up camp. They were able to find themselves a spot near the river they needed to follow. Scary quickly gave out jobs for everyone to do, knowing that night was almost upon them. Asuna was tasked to set up camp, setting out bedrolls and start up a fire. Klein took the horses two at a time down to the river to let them drink. Scary and Sinon took it upon themselves to go hunting for their dinner.

The group had actually forgone eating the whole day in favor of gaining distance between them and the capital. It was surprising that Morgan didn't even complain during the travel, only giving directions on where to go.

Kazuto sighed as he curled up against the large roots of a tree. His head was hurting terribly and his world was a blur in front of him. Although, it wasn't as bad as Asuna and the others thought.

"Are you okay, Kazuto?" Morgan asked as he placed a hand of Kazuto's forehead. He hid a flinch at the heat radiating of off him. The Prince of Aincrad only hummed as he felt sleep already luring him in. He tried to sleep while riding, but the constant, thumping movement on the horse kept him up. Morgan sighed as he stood up, deciding to wake up the Prince when the others got back. He trotted over to Asuna and helped her out with unpacking a few cooking supplies.

"Nee, Asuna?" Morgan called as he scoured the area for dry branches. Asuna looked up from the bag she dug through and acknowledge him with a hum.

"Hm?"

"Is there any fruits or vegetables in there?"

Asuna nodded and gestured with her elbow. "Yeah, there was some in Ryoutarou's bag over there."

"Okay, thanks." Morgan checked the bag and found an assortment of fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. He was surprised to find a folded note attached to an apple's stem. Curious, he plucked it off the fruit and looked over it. He immediately frowned as the markings on the paper made no sense to him. He turned it side to side and even rotated the paper in attempt to understand it. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't read it.

The sounds of hooves caught his attention as Ryoutarou was making his way back to the camp. Morgan looked up and saw Scary and his sister coming back with small smirks on their faces. Well, Sinon was smiling while Scary seemed to have a smirk on his face.

"Welcome back!" he called as everyone made it back. He turned to Ryoutarou with a smile he usually had. "How's the horses?"

"Hey, Morgan! We just need to have Aries and Terra rest for a little while, but they're fine." Ryoutarou said as he tied up the said horses to low branch. Scary hummed in understanding as he leapt over a bush, too lazy to actually go around it like his sister.

"We're back! I'm surprised we were about to get this much." he said as he lifted up their catch. Two rabbits and an abnormally large quail hung from the rope Scary held. Morgan blinked in surprise. Those two were only gone for half an hour...

"Oh, wow! That was fast." Asuna said as she looked up from the fire she started. "With this much, I can make rabbit stew enough for everyone."

Ryoutarou laughed as he patted Sinon's shoulder. "Good job you two!"

Sinon smiled at the praise as she clutched her bow closer to her. "Thank you."

Scary's expression didn't change as he poked Sinon's face. "Don't be so bashful."

"I am not!" Sinon said as she knocked her brother's hand away from her face. Scary only humphed and handed their catch to Asuna. Within a few minutes, Asuna had a pot of water boiling over the fire as she cleaned the rabbit. Scary kept his hands busy with preparing their only bird while Sinon tended to her horse, Aries.

Seeing that he didn't have much to do anymore, Morgan decided to bother Ryoutarou.

"Nee, Ryoutarou?" he began as he tugged on the adult's sleeve.

"Yes, Morgan?" Ryoutarou said as he looked up from his sword. Morgan handed him the paper he found earlier.

"Can you read this? I found this tied on an apple." he said as Ryoutarou took the paper.

"Ah, let's see here," Ryoutarou began as his eyes quickly scanned the paper. Morgan took a seat beside him and peeked at the paper, too. "Blackberries, raspberries, dried grapes...It's just a list of what's in the bag, Morgan."

"Oh, so that's what is said," Morgan said as he took the paper back and stared at it with awe. Scary looked up since he clearly heard the conversation.

"What? You don't know how to read?" he asked the child. Morgan shook his head. "What? I thought a servant like you would be able to read."

Asuna finished chopping up the rabbit with her dagger and squeezed the chunks. With a brief glance at Morgan, she asked a question, "How old are you Morgan?"

"Twelve." came the answer. Asuna paused and shared a look of slight surprise with Scary before Sinon decided to join the conversation.

"Wait, you're a servant at the royal castle and you don't know how to read?" she said as she sat near the fire to warm herself up. "I thought all servants at the Royal Castles know how."

Ryoutarou grimaced as he patted Morgan's head. "Well, technically, yes, but Morgan is a special case."

"Special?" Sinon echoed. There was a small sneeze that caught everyone's attention. They all turned to see Kazuto slowly getting up as he shook his head.

"Oh, you're awake." was all Scary could say as Kazuto plopped himself right next to Ryoutarou.

"Yeah, I'm awake. No, wait. Let me rephrase that. I've been awake actually." Kazuto said, still looking a bit dazed. His face was still flushed with fever and he was clearly shaking. Asuna finished pressing the chunks and dumped them into the pot with care.

"How do you feel?" she asked as she covered the pot. Kazuto shrugged and pulled the cloak a little closer to himself.

"Uhm...better." Kazuto said, he looked over to Morgan who was staring at the sheet of paper. "You guys were talking about Morgan?"

Sinon nodded as she looked over to Kazuto. "Yes. Wasn't Morgan taught how to read, Prince Kazuto?"

Kazuto sighed as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his trembling arms around them. "Uhm...how do I put this..." He trailed off to look at Ryoutarou, who gave him a look of approval. Sighing once again, Kazuto answered Sinon.

"Morgan can read," he explained, "it's just that he can't read Aincradian Script...or Common Script for that matter."

"What? Don't tell me that the brat can read Galian." Scary scoffed as he shoved a stick through the prepared quail. Kazuto nearly gagged at the sight and quickly looked to Morgan, who was still staring at the paper.

"Morgan, can you grab your map for me, please?" he asked politely. The little boy nodded as he pulled out the map without looking up from the paper.

"Here," he said as he handed it to Kazuto. The Prince thanked him, but Morgan ignored him in favor of addressing Ryoutarou. To anyone, it would seem like he was disrespecting the Prince, but Kazuto knew better. The boy was just focused after all. "Can you help me match these words to the fruit?"

"Of course, Morgan," Ryoutarou said as he got up, "Excuse me, Your Highness, while I help Morgan."

"Ka-zu-to!" the Prince corrected as his pale, shivering hands unfolded the map. "But thanks for helping him this time, Ryoutarou."

Ryoutarou nodded in understanding with a smile on his face. "Glad to help, Kazuto."

Scary and Sinon shared a look of slight surprise. They couldn't believe how quick the castle guard easily changed his manner of speaking with Kazuto.

"Do they always do that?" Scary asked, talking about the informality with his subjects. Kazuto gave him a shaky smile as he slid the map forward.

"Yeah, when I correct them like that." he said. He tapped the map. "Here, take a look at this and tell me what you see."

Scary took the map after he wiped his hands on a cloth and shared it with his sister. He easily noted that is was a complete map (from border to border) of Aincrad's geography and locations. Sinon's eyes widened a few seconds later while Scary's narrowed. On the map of the three kingdoms, the locations were not only written in Common Script and Aincradian, but also...

"Wait a minute," Sinon began, "this is..."

"Faerie Script." Scary finished. For some odd reason it didn't really surprise him as much as he thought. He looked at Kazuto, "He can read that? That's not normal for a child as young as him. It's nearly impossible."

"It is?" Asuna asked as she looked at the map. "I thought it was normal. I remember a girl who could read Faerie Script in my hometown. She's just about the same age as me."

"What?" Sinon said as she looked over to Asuna. "But—how?"

"I think it's just the proximity of our countries. If you think about it, Gale only shares a fourth of their border with Alfheim." Kazuto said as he shakily pointed it out beyond the map, showing where Gale's border with Alfheim was likely to be. Scary grimaced.

"Well...that is true." he admitted. Asuna lifted the pot and stirred once.

"It's ready!" she announced.

Morgan perked up and plopped a little too close to the fire. "Food!"

"Not too close, you brat!" Scary said as he pulled the back of Morgan's shirt, setting him a good distance away from the fire. "Didn't anyone tell you that it isn't safe near a fire?"

Morgan muttered an apology as Asuna started to pour some in small bowls. As she gave Ryoutarou the last bowl, Sinon couldn't help but notice that she skipped Kazuto.

"Hey, you forgot to give Kazuto one." Sinon said. Asuna was about to answer but Kazuto got up.

"Oh, I'm fine, Sinon. I have a different diet." he said as Ryoutarou handed him a fruit from the bag and took a tentative bite. She didn't really believe him, but she just shook her head and minded her own business. About half an hour later, the pot was finished and Kazuto and Morgan were completely out. Kazuto was lying on his side not too close by the fire as Morgan curled up next to him. Ryoutarou acted as if it was a normal thing as he threw a blanket over them.

"So, now that we're done with our first day...mind explaining what the hell is wrong with your Prince and Morgan for that matter?" Scary asked as he watched Ryoutarou take his seat by the fire. The castle guard couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy as he shifted under the other Prince's sharp gaze. If anything, he was pretty sure that Scary was glaring at him. He had the urge to change the subject, but his gut told him that Scary could easily shoot it down the second he tried. Instead, Ryoutarou sighed and made himself comfortable.

"Well, Your Highness..." he began, not really looking at Scary. "What do you want to know about Morgan?"

"How the hell did he recover from an injury that severe?" Scary asked, "I know for a fact that healing an injury that deep would at least take a few weeks with the proper bedrest and healing crystals. There is no way in hell is it possible to heal that wound within mere hours."

Ryoutarou sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well...I honestly don't know about that, Your Highness."

"I have heard that Faerie magic is able to cure severe injuries." Asuna said, pulling her knees to her chest. "Some people said that Faerie magic is somewhat similar..."

Scary gave her a look. "Impossible. Sword Skills itself aren't magic, but an ability we all hold from birth. It's only up to the person whether they want to use it or not. But if Morgan is able to Fearie Magic, then he must have some relation to a Faerie. Heck, I think that's the only plausible reason I'll even except!"

"...And I thought him reading Faerie Script was a hint, Scary." Sinon deadpanned. Her brother gaped at her before stammering.

"Sh-shut up!" He turned to Ryoutarou, "What about Kazuto? What can you tell us about him?"

Ryoutarou grimaced, knowing that he couldn't really avoid it now. He sighed once more and looked at the Prince of Gale. "Where should I start, Your Highness?"

"How long has he been sick?" Scary asked, not very patient at the moment.

"Since birth." Ryoutarou answered. Asuna perked up.

"Wait, what? But, how can that be?" she asked. "He was just fine when I first met him."

Ryoutarou frowned. "There are some cases where a few babies are born weak. Prince Kazuto was born frail and his health was been a struggle to maintain at a bearable level for him. He is supposedly better now, but when he falls ill," he took a moment to glance at Kazuto, "it hits His Highness hard."

"But then why didn't he eat Asuna's rabbit stew? It should've been nutritious." Sinon said. Scary shook his head.

"He can't eat meat, sis." he said, ignoring his sister's showed expression. He turned to Ryoutarou. "So, how long does this last?"

"If we're constantly moving everyday, it'll be taxing on his body, but what choice do we have?" the castle guard said, sighing.

"No, wait, I don't get it though. If he's sick, then why is he running around the city as the Black Swordsman?" Asuna asked, emphasizing a few words. There was an awkward silence as the words slowly sink in.

"W-what?!"

"Wait a minute—did I hear you correctly?!" Scary asked Asuna as he did a double take. Asuna blinked from her place at the fire before tilting her head.

"Well...yeah." she affirmed. Sinon suddenly did a double take.

"You mean, he's—No Goddess-damn way!" she cursed as she looked at the sleeping Kazuto. Scary took the moment to snap out if his brief moment of shock.

"Stop cursing!" he reprimanded. He turned back to Asuna. "You're Goddess-damn freaking joking with me, right?!"

Asuna laughed at Scary's brotherly skills and answered him anyway. "Ahahaha...nope. Not one bit, Your Highness. Not one Goddess-damn bit."

._._._._._.

The next morning, they left right when the sun peeked out of the horizon, but whatever concern they had for Kazuto heightened. The prince was trembling like a leaf as he slept in Asuna's arms. His breaths came in short gasps and body was warm, really warm.

Compared to their fast pace yesterday, they moved half that speed. Scary wasn't fond at the idea, but Ryoutarou had convinced him otherwise. Even though they needed to gain more distance, they began to doubt that Kazuto could actually make the journey.

The next few days continued in this pattern, taking short ten to fifteen minute breaks to relax the horses a bit every few hours, camp at night, then off again before the sun rose. Of course, the path they followed wasn't safe. More than several times, they had encountered wild monsters.

Scary was surprised to learn that Morgan knew how to wield a weapon. And by the Goddess, he didn't know if he should be happy about it or down-right, fricking horrified.

._._._._._.

"Damn! There are monsters ahead!" Scary said as he pulled out his bow. He nearly grabbed an arrow when Ryoutarou interrupted him.

"It's alright! Morgan!" He called. He didn't have to say anymore as the boy was already reading himself on the moving horse

"I got it! Just don't stop riding. Just remember to pick me up, please!" Morgan said. Sinon looked behind her to only see the small boy slipping off the side of the moving horse. All the words of panic was stolen as Morgan suddenly propelled forward.

"Don't stop, Your Highness! Keep riding!" A pack of dire wolves were heading their way. In a blink of an eye, the white haired child drew a short sword out of no where and the blade began to glow.

Scary felt his eyes widen in shock. If he remembered correctly, Morgan was only a twelve-year-old...!

"What the-!" Sinon didn't have the chance to finish as Morgan's Sword Skill reached a certain point. He suddenly thrusted his sword forward, causing a faint trace of blue follow him. Blood coated his sword as three dire wolves fell to their deaths, tripping into the ground from their speed.

Morgan didn't stop there as growls of anger were heard ahead. He didn't slow down as he leapt into the air, slashing at the next dire wolf that tried to scratch his stomach, injuring it severely with a deep slice in its shoulder. The white haired child kept his momentum going as he ran ahead of them. He brandished his sword and his eyes were sharp, focusing in on the last monster. Unlike the others, it was a Blood Wolf was just up ahead.

Scary was about to warn Morgan that the monster was dangerous, but Ryoutarou stopped him with a hand. Sinon reached out a hand in panic as Morgan activated another Sword Skill. The Blood Wolf bared its glistening red teeth at him before launching, its claws stretched out.

With a sudden, quick flash of light, Morgan was already less than a foot from the wolf's neck. The Galians watched in slight horror as Morgan's sword ripped through the thick hide of the monster, cleaving it in two. He brandished his sword one last moment before sheathing it. He threw his hand in the air and just stood there as the group rode closer.

"Sinon! Grab his hand and don't stop!" Ryoutarou told her. Sinon snapped out of her daze and reached down. She was able to catch Morgan's small, soft hands and lift him up. Scary felt his jaw drop as Morgan jump up, swinging a leg up and around the horse's rear, then settling right behind Sinon with ease.

"Good job, Morgan!" Ryoutarou praised. Morgan just laughed as he clung to Sinon's back. Needless to say, Scary was unnerved. There was no way child like Morgan, no matter how young, would be able to obliterate a whole pack of monsters in under a minute. His grip on the reins tightened as he kept the steady pace, knowing that time was not on their side.

He stared at the back of Morgan, remembering the dream he had weeks before.

A seemingly dead child sitting on top of water. The Goddess of Life whispering words of regret. The resemblance between Morgan and that child's name...

He shook his head. There was no way in hell was Morgan a- His thoughts were caught off when he heard a smack. His horse, Stardust suddenly reared on her legs and whined. Scary felt his heart jump to his throat and managed to save himself from falling off. He was only half prepared when Stardust took off. Immediately, he braced himself for the rough ride, passing Sinon like a shooting arrow. His sister and Morgan gave shouts of surprise and he heard Kazuto's sickly laughter with Asuna's splutter of lost words. Scary threw a dirty look over his shoulder after a few yards.

"WHO THE FRICK TOUCHED MY HORSE?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scary needs to chill.


	18. Just One Step

"Hurry, Sugu," called Midori over her shoulder. "We mustn't waste valuable time."

The young Princess of Aincrad gritted her teeth as she wadded across the slightly swollen stream. Her sheathed sword was held tightly in her grip, high above the her head as the water soaked her dress to her hip. Her mother had just reached the other side of the stream, holding out a hand for her to take. Sugu took a few more steps and grabbed her mother's hand, allowing her self to get pulled out of the stream with ease. There was no time to dry off as Sugu quickly strapped her sword at her side.

"Mother, where are we going?" she asked, warily claiming the steep hill that started from the stream's edge. She was already dreading the clim upwards. "We've been traveling in a direction for days. We should be looking for Kazuto and not running away."

Midori tore a fabric of her skirt to lessen the weight of her throughly ruined dress.

"I'm not sure. I know that it could take days to reach a Guardian's house. If we're lucky, we'd run into a Warden." she said, trying the ripped fabric around her stomach, covering up a gaping hole in her dress's midriff. The Queen of Aincrad would rather travel with a bit of modesty, thank you very much.

Suguha looked at her mother with slight disbelief. "Mother, Guardians and Wardens are a thing of the past. I mean, no one's ever seen any Child of Etra for over three hundred years. They're nothing more than a faerie tale."

Midori frowned a little as she started to move away from the stream. "Hundreds of years or not, the Children of Etra are our only hope now."

"But-" Suguha began, but a voice ahead cut her off.

"Heeeey!"

The two woman snapped their heads to see a young teen leaning over the tip of the hill. His black hair shined in the sunlight as the wind tossed it a bit. Suguha couldn't help but notice that the teen seemed to be at her age of fifteen, or sixteen. His clothes were clearly those of a traveler; a thick cloak over his shoulders, leather arm braces over the long tan sleeves, and a dark brown vast with simple designs lining it. His face had a clear look of worry as he called out to them again.

"Are... are you alright?" he asked.

Midori blinked at the boy for a moment and smiled politely. "We're fine. Thank you, dear."

The boy smiled a little. "Are you on your way to somewhere?"

Suguha watched as the boy got up and half slid, half walked down the hill and stopped at her mother. He offered a hand to her.

"I'm Avery." he introduced casually. Midori blinked at him for a second before shaking his offered hand.

"I am Midori," she said, then gestured to Suguha, "and this is my daughter, Suguha."

"Hello." Suguha greeted with a quick nod of her head. The boy, Avery acknowledged her with a nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Avery said, his brown eyes lingering on the damp skirts they were wearing. "Uhm... I hope I do not offend you, but if you had traveled about a mile downstream, you could've crossed the bridge to get to the other side."

Midori blinked in surprise. "There... there was a bridge?"

"Ah, we didn't know," Suguha said as she turned her gaze downstream, slightly frowning at her luck.

Avery laughed a little, his voice nearly muffled by the rushing waters. "Ahaha, well, it doesn't matter now I suppose. If you'd like, I can take you to my home to dry up. My mother wouldn't mind lending her clothes to you."

"Oh, we mustn't." Midair said quickly, preventing from Suguha to agreeing. She took a quick glance at the sky. The sun was already beginning to sink. She knew that it was hard on them for the past weeks. They barely got by with the sparse food and game they came across, but they managed. She knew that Suguha was hungry and tired, but with the little time they had left... "We need to find someone of great importance, and we have little time."

Avery sent her an odd look before placing a hand on his hip. "For a queen, I'd think you'd be more reasonable," his words caught Midori by surprise and Suguha spluttered.

"H-how did you know?!" Suguha demanded. Avery smiled.

"Please, just come with me, Your Highness, Your Majesty." he said, "Time is not in our favor."

Midori took a step back, placing a hand on her Anneal blade at her side with wary eyes. "Who... who are you?"

"Not here. Certainly not here." Avery closed his eyes for a brief moment as the wind pick up. He turned just a little as the ends of his pitch black hair brushed against his pale neck, revealing a mark they had both recognized. A small bird with its wings outstretched was surrounded by a single clock gear was imprinted on the side of his neck.

The crest of Aincrad.

Suguha couldn't believe it, nor did she want to believe it. No one ever wore the crest of a kingdom on one's skin. Any making resembling any symbol or crest were forbidden to be applied to human skin, unless the person was born with it. She watched with dread as Avery opened his brown eyes. Now that she was closer, she could see the hint of lavender gleaming at the corner. There was a hint of restrained sadness in his tone as he gazed narrowly at the sky above them. "It has finally... begun."

._._._._._.

By the time the group reached their destination, they stopped about half a mile away for caution. They were all exhausted. Kazuto had barely been awake, staring at absolutely nothing as he rested limply against Asuna. Sinon was struggling to make sure the Morgan wasn't falling off their horse. Ryoutarou was pretty damn sure that Scary was beyond irritated.

"Let's find some lodging and rest a bit." Ryoutarou said, dismounting his huffing horse and looking over to Scary. The Prince of Gale had a flat look on his face as he haphazardly slipped off his horse and stumbled to keep his balance.

"Sounds... great." came his tired voice. He looked up to his sister, who was slowly dismounting her own horse. "I'll go into town and see what I can find. Sinon, you-"

"Don't you dare tell me to-" Sinon began, but Scary didn't let her finish.

"-stay with Asuna and Kazuto." he said with a heavy tone of finality, ignoring her annoyed click of her tongue. "Morgan, you're sti-"

"I'm coming with you." Morgan interrupted, firmly. Scary gave him a glare.

"What did you think I was going to say, you little brat?" he said, "You lived here. Plus, your parents might've been waiting for your arrival."

Morgan bit his bottom lip, "with all due respect your highness, I never received a letter from them for years. I highly doubt that they'll be welcoming if they discover that I came home."

That got a few eyebrows raised, including Asuna and Ryoutarou.

"Oh, poppycock, no parent would reject their child." Scary scoffed. Sinon glanced at him but said nothing.

"You'd be surprised." Morgan muttered under his breath, which didn't go unheard by Asuna.

"I'll come with you. Maybe my presence would help." Ryoutarou said, readjusting the sword at his hip. Scary nodded as he took a dagger off the side of his horse's saddle and strapped it to his side, concealing it with his cloak.

"Alright," Scary said as he turned to Asuna, "Stay here and out of sight with the horses until one of us come back. I expect that we won't take long, but if we do, come and find us if we aren't back by sundown."

Asuna frowned but nodded, carefully getting down from he horse and Kazuto with her. "Alright, I understand."

"You better hurry back, Scary." Sinon said, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Scary said with an off-handed wave as he lead the way to the entrance with Ryoutarou and Morgan on either side of him.

._._._._._.

Ryoutarou was pretty sure that things were going to look up a little, but he was wrong. Very much so, that he began to regret having a bit of hope.

"Halt!" came a thundering voice. Scary had literally taken one step past the seemingly unguarded gates and the tip of a spear was held at his Adam's apple. To his credit, the Prince of Gale barely flinched, only his eyes blinking in slight surprise. Ryoutarou quickly dropped into a fighting stance with a hand on his sword, but Scary was quick to raise a low hand, silently telling him to ease his guard.

"State your business, boy." asked the soldier right in front of him. The soldier wasn't much, just one of those average one anyone would find, but the look of distrust and unbidden anger was clear in his eyes. Around them, the villagers stopped for a moment to watch the confrontation with wonder and caution. Morgan moved a little closer to Ryoutarou as four more guards appeared. Scary nearly growled an answer, but kept a calm composure.

"My friends and I are just travelers. We're seeking for a place to stay." he said, ease lacing his tone. Ryoutarou was almost surprised to see the Prince of Gale this calm, considering the short temper he had witnessed during their travel. The guard looked at Scary for a moment, eyeing his teal hair before narrowing.

"Travelers, eh? Galian, perhaps? You people aren't welcome here." the guard said, glaring. The tip of the spear touched Scary's skin, but he made no move to avoid it.

"Why/ Do you have something against Galians? Are they not human too?" Scary asked, raising an eyebrow at the guard's reaction. Ryoutarou took a step in, only to be met with sword drawn to his chest.

"Take one step, and I'll cut you down where you stand, traveler." spat another guard. The castle guard kept Morgan back as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Listen, we mean no harm. We're simply travelers seeking passage through here." Ryoutarou said, in attempt to calm the hostility directed toward them. Scary hummed in agreement.

"One night." Scary said, staring right into the eye of the guard. "That is all I ask."

The guard who held a spear at Scary's throat regarded him with a stare before looking to the left. Scary followed the gaze and narrowed his eyes. There, stood a man twice his age, maybe just a few years older that Ryoutarou, with a scar across his face and a shaved chin. he locked gazes with the man, daring him to say something about his suggestion.

A long minute of thick tension was heavy in the air until the other man broke it.

"Fine. I'll give you your night, boy." the man finally said, spatting the last word. He crossed his arms with a smirk. Suddenly, Ryoutarou knew they messed up when he saw it. Another guard stood behind the Prince of Gale, hand raised. Scary barely had the time to react when the spear was lowered from his throat and the raised hand hit him squarely at the base of his skull. He was out like a candle when he crumbled to the ground.

"Scary!" Morgan cried from behind Ryoutarou, pulling away from his grip on his arm.

"Morgan, wait!" Ryoutarou snapped, but his warning came to late as another guard easily grabbed the young boy from behind and twist an arm behind his back. Morgan let out a strangled cry as he stumbled back, grunting in frustration as a knife was quickly held to his throat. Ryoutarou gritted his teeth as he saw a thin trail of blood from the light cut on the boy's neck. He quickly rounded his heated anger at the guard in front of him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. The man (he definitely seemed like the leader now) grinned dangerously as he bent down to Scary, grabbing the Prince's arm and lifting him up like a rag doll. Ryoutarou wanted to run to the man and punch him in the face, but he kept himself back. The man reached to Scary's side, unsheathing the dagger the Prince had and held it tauntingly against the Prince's arm. Ryoutarou caught a glimpse of the man's wrist and instantly paled.

There, right under the underside of the man's wrist that held Scary's arm, was an open black coffin. It was practically screaming at Ryoutarou with that ugly, laughing face on the coffin, mocking him completely.

Why... why had he not seen it sooner?!

He dragged the blade across Scary's skin, leaving a shallow, yet long cut on the underside of his left arm in an agonizingly slow pace. The man had a toothy grin of sick pleasure present on his face, "One false move, and I'll kill the little princeling, Captain Ryoutarou."

._._._._._.

Scary was flat out irritated, and very close to murdering something at the moment. First, he just asked if he could spend one goddess-damned night in their town and they completely knocked him out. The next thing he knew, he was in a dingy prison cell. What was worse was the very fact that he couldn't remember how the hell he ended up there in the first place!

As an added plus, his arm wasn't fairing much better either. A long cut burned like an evil witch. It began from the bottom of his palm and ended well past his elbow. He couldn't bend his arm without it making him cringe at the flaring pain. He had no idea how the hell he managed to get the injury. He knew that it was pretty shallow, but he was pretty damn sure that a cut like this would hinder him from keeping a steady aim with a bow.

Cursing his luck, he looked around the prison cell he was in, quickly noting the lack of anything. There was only a pile of hay and dirt gathered at the corners. It also struck him that he was alone; no Morgan or Ryoutarou in sight.

Oh, he  _definitely_  wanted to kill someone now.

"We took one step - one goddess-damn step - and they freaking arrested us! And for what? Just claiming to be travelers! WHO THE HELL DOES THAT?" Scary practically exploded.

"Shut yer trap, you damn brat!" shouted the jailer. Scary spun on his heel and kicked the bars with his steel toed boot, causing a loud ringing sound to echo throughout the hollow jail cells.

"You shut up!" Scary seethed.

"Scary! You're awake!" came a voice to his right. He instantly recognized it.

"Morgan?!" he breathed. He scrambled to the edge of his cell once he saw an small hand stick out from behind his wall of separation and the bars. He reached out and grabbed it with his uninjured arm. He instantly felt relief flood through him as the hand squeezed back and he heard Morgan's familiar voice.

"Oh, thank Etra, you're okay! You haven't made a sound for hours."

Scary grunted, "With the damn cut on my arm and the gap in my memory, you could say that I am."

He winced at the slight pain at the back of his head as he leaned against the wall and slid down with Morgan's hand tight in his grip, "Where the hell is Ryoutarou?"

"He's in the other cell across from mine. Can you see him?"

Scary canned his head to peek through the bars and tried to search for the familiar shade of red. He instantly caught sight of a faded reddish brown from the bad lighting. Ryoutarou was lying limply on the floor, causing Scary's breath to hitch.

"Damnit!" he hissed, then raised his voice a little, "How long has he been like that?"

A short pause.

"Morgan?" Scary tried again.

"He hasn't moved since we got thrown in here. I'm sure he's just tired though-" Morgan's voice was cut off by light coughing.

"Frick, Morgan? What's wrong?!" Scary hissed, rubbing a reassuring thumb on the smaller hand that loosened a little. The coughing stopped as soon as it started, and Morgan's voice came again, albeit a little weaker.

"I'm okay. I just bothered my cut that's all."

"Where? Where did they hurt you?" Scary asked, trying to keep back the flaring anger in his voice. Right now, holding Morgan's small, calloused hands was the only thing keeping him from screaming profanities at the moment.

"Just my throat. It's really shallow though. It's almost healed."

Scary sighed in relief. Well, at least that's one less thing to worry about. "Morgan, tell me, what happened."

Morgan didn't bother to hesitate as he launched into a quick summary of what happened to them a few hours prior. Apparently, after knocking Scary out, they were not arrested, but rather captured. Scary frowned. They hurt Ryoutarou, who offered to be beaten in the place of Scary, to what extent, he didn't know. But if he were to go with Ryoutarou's current condition, he'd say that it was quite the beating. They spared Morgan with a few well-placed kicks to the ribs and a nearly healed cut on his throat. If anything, Scary was the only one who got off pretty damn lightly. He had no reason to be complaining about the cut on his arm, hurting or not.

He sighed once more, as Morgan ended his summary with a short sentence of "then they took our weapons, separated us and threw us in jail...", he began to assess the current situation they got themselves stick into. He suddenly felt a heavy weight settle on his shoulders, adding more stress to the burdens he already had. He cursed again, eyes landing on the tiny window his cell had near the ceiling. There was a little blue jay twitching its tiny head, pecking at seemingly nothing before taking off. He grimaced. The sunlight was already fading. If he remembered correctly, they arrived at the town just after sun high... Which meant that Sinon was going to come after them.

He clicked his tongue. There was no way he could warn her to stay away. Not much hope of getting out unless he found a way to get out, but with the little time he had before the sun would completely set and the passed out and most likely injured Ryoutarou, he needed a miracle. Knowing his sister, she would do whatever it takes to save him and the others. She was stubborn that wa-

Scary's thoughts suddenly came to a haunting realization.

They completely fell for a trap.

And not just any trap...

"A well-planned, goddess-damn trap." he growled under his breath. The light squeeze from Morgan's hand quickly told him that the boy had came to the same, stumbling realization.

"Don't worry..." Morgan's trembling voice came, "I-I'm sure... Asuna and Kazuto will figure something out..."

Scary highly doubted that the two would, or prevent his sister from running right into danger, but didn't want to ruin the boy's hope. So, for once, he did what he had always been giving Sinon.

"They will."

A false hope.

But... he didn't want it to be a false hope. He wanted to believe his words this time, and not become an empty promise. Gathering his courage, Scary closed his eyes and silently prayed to Etra as he repeated his words once more.

**"They will."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to post this. I'm sorry for long wait.


End file.
